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Latest Technology news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voiceen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015Sun, 02 Aug 2015 21:06:04 GMT2015-08-02T21:06:04Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015The Guardianhttp://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttp://www.theguardian.com
It’s fast, global, engaged and influential – so why isn’t Twitter flying?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/twitter-isnt-flying-fast-global-engaged-influential
While Facebook and Snapchat soar, the most immediate social media channel in the world has many experts worried<p>How many tech companies are saddled with the problem of enjoying global fame but struggling with lacklustre performance? Not Facebook, which revealed in its results that it has nearly 1.5 billion users logging in each month around the world. Twitter, however, is an example where participation is lagging behind reputation.</p><p>The company built around text-message-length “tweets” announced in its own quarterly results last week that it has 304 million monthly active users (MAUs), who logged in at least once a month in the past quarter. That figure was up only 0.7% from the previous quarter, while the figure for MAUs in the US stayed stubbornly at 65 million.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/twitter-isnt-flying-fast-global-engaged-influential">Continue reading...</a>TwitterJack DorseySocial mediaSocial networkingDigital mediaBloggingFacebookSnapchatMediaInternetBusinessTechnologySat, 01 Aug 2015 15:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/twitter-isnt-flying-fast-global-engaged-influentialPhotograph: Brendan Mcdermid/ReutersTwitter floated on the New York Stock Exchange at $45.10 a share in 2013. Some analysts have now marked its stock down to $27. Photograph: Brendan Mcdermid/ReutersPhotograph: Brendan Mcdermid/ReutersTwitter floated on the New York Stock Exchange at $45.10 a share in 2013. Some analysts have now marked its stock down to $27. Photograph: Brendan Mcdermid/ReutersCharles Arthur2015-08-01T15:00:03ZWindows 10: Microsoft under attack over privacyhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/windows-10-microsoft-faces-criticism-over-privacy-default-settings
<p>From personalised ads in Solitaire to an address book-reading personal assistant, some users are unhappy with Windows 10’s approach to privacy</p><p>Windows 10 is under attack over default settings which users say compromise their privacy, just days after the operating system’s successful launch saw <a href="http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/07/30/windows-10-the-first-24-hours/">more than 14 million installs</a> in the first 24 hours.</p><p>Hundreds of commenters on sites such as <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9976298">Hacker News</a> and <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3f38ed/guide_how_to_disable_data_logging_in_w10/">Reddit</a> have criticised default settings that send personal information to Microsoft, use bandwidth to upload data to other computers running the operating system, share Wi-Fi passwords with online friends and remove the ability to opt out of security updates.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/windows-10-microsoft-faces-criticism-over-privacy-default-settings">Continue reading...</a>Windows 10TechnologyMicrosoftComputingSat, 01 Aug 2015 08:44:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/windows-10-microsoft-faces-criticism-over-privacy-default-settingsPhotograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty ImagesVisitors try out Windows 10 at a launch event in Seoul. The new operating system is being criticised for default settings that send personal information to Microsoft among other complaints.Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty ImagesVisitors try out Windows 10 at a launch event in Seoul. The new operating system is being criticised for default settings that send personal information to Microsoft among other complaints.Alex Hern2015-08-01T08:44:13ZHitchhiking robot dead as cross-country trip cut short by vandalshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/hitchhiking-robot-cross-country-trip-ends
<ul><li>Beloved Hitchbot damaged beyond repair in Philadelphia<br></li><li>The kid-sized robot hitchhiked across Canada in 26 days last year</li></ul><p>A hitchhiking robot that captured the hearts of fans worldwide has met its demise.</p><p>The Canadian researchers who created Hitchbot as a social experiment said someone in Philadelphia damaged the robot beyond repair early on Saturday, ending its first American tour after about two weeks. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/hitchhiking-robot-cross-country-trip-ends">Continue reading...</a>RobotsUS newsPhiladelphiaSun, 02 Aug 2015 12:40:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/hitchhiking-robot-cross-country-trip-endsPhotograph: Stephan Savoia/APA car drives by Hitchbot in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in July. It was immobile on its own, relying on the kindness of strangers but that ended Saturday.Photograph: Stephan Savoia/APA car drives by Hitchbot in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in July. It was immobile on its own, relying on the kindness of strangers but that ended Saturday.Associated Press in Philadelphia2015-08-02T12:40:33ZHow does it feel to be a ‘grey entrepreneur’?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/how-does-it-feel-to-be-a-grey-entrepreneur-tech-startup-50s
Tech startups are usually seen as a young person’s game, so founding a website in my late 50s has been something of an adventure…<p>Pulling into Old Street underground station in London I can with great accuracy predict who will head for the doors of the train. Not that clean-shaven man in the three-piece business suit; nor that Armani-ed woman who’s probably heading for a City skyscraper. No, Old Street (ironically, given the name) is a magnet for tech-oriented twentysomethings. So how does it feel to be a “grey entrepreneur” blinking in the light of Silicon Roundabout?</p><p>I’m a former magazine editor (<em>Psychologies</em>, <em>Good Housekeeping</em>,<em> In Style</em>) in my late 50s. When, a few years ago, I wanted to find a therapist to deal with some of life’s harsher blows, I realised that most directories couldn’t give me what I needed. Picking out a face from the hundreds listed was a stab in the dark. Couldn’t you take the sort of algorithm that worked for dating sites, and find the right therapist much more accurately?&nbsp;</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/how-does-it-feel-to-be-a-grey-entrepreneur-tech-startup-50s">Continue reading...</a>Technology startupsTechnology sectorBusinessTechnologySilicon RoundaboutSocietyInternetSun, 02 Aug 2015 08:15:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/how-does-it-feel-to-be-a-grey-entrepreneur-tech-startup-50sPhotograph: GoogleStart me up: the cafe at Campus London where tech entrepreneurs find inspiration. Photograph: GooglePhotograph: GoogleStart me up: the cafe at Campus London where tech entrepreneurs find inspiration. Photograph: GoogleLouise Chunn2015-08-02T08:15:08ZEx-boss of MtGox bitcoin exchange arrested in Japan over lost $390mhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/ex-boss-of-mtgox-bitcoin-exchange-arrested-in-japan-over-lost-480m
<p>French-born Mark Karpeles held in connection with the disappearance of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the virtual currency </p><p>Mark Karpeles, the former head of defunct <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/bitcoin">bitcoin</a> exchange MtGox, has been arrested in Japan, and is reportedly to be questioned over the 2014 disappearance of nearly $390m (&pound;250m) worth of the virtual currency.</p><p> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/ex-boss-of-mtgox-bitcoin-exchange-arrested-in-japan-over-lost-480m">Continue reading...</a>BitcoinCryptocurrenciesTechnologyBusinessJapanFranceAsia PacificE-commerceWorld newsSat, 01 Aug 2015 09:12:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/ex-boss-of-mtgox-bitcoin-exchange-arrested-in-japan-over-lost-480mPhotograph: Yuya Shino/ReutersMark Karpeles, former chief executive of MtGox, pictured in Tokyo in February 2014.Jessica Elgot and agencies2015-08-01T09:12:29ZHow Google quietly revved up its very own car companyhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/google-auto-car-making-company
<p>Documents obtained by the Guardian reveal the tech giant created Google Auto LLC to help develop its self-driving cars even as it courted big car makers</p><p> Google has set up its own car company. The tech giant has flirted with major car firms as it explores driverless cars but has also quietly set up its own auto company, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.</p><p>Google Auto LLC is headed by Chris Urmson, project lead for Google’s self-driving cars. Urmson has been on a charm offensive with the world’s biggest automobile manufacturers. At the North American International Auto Show in January, Urmson announced talks with General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Daimler and Volkswagen. In March, he told USA Today: “Making cars is really hard, and the car companies are quite good at it. So, in my mind, the solution is to find a partnership.”<br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/google-auto-car-making-company">Continue reading...</a>GoogleTechnologyMotoringCaliforniaUS newsSat, 01 Aug 2015 11:30:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/google-auto-car-making-companyPhotograph: Tony Avelar/APIn this 13 May 2015 photo, Google’s self-driving Lexus car drives along street during a demonstration at Google campus in Mountain View, California.Mark Harris2015-08-01T11:30:09ZRight to be forgotten: Swiss cheese internet, or database of ruin?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/right-to-be-forgotten-google-swiss-cheese-internet-database-of-ruin
<p>Posturing over Google and the ‘right to be forgotten’ detracts from larger issues about respect for individuals v overreaching economic rights in digital space </p><p>Imagine, 25 years ago, someone telling you: we really need to redress this massive social ignorance that, when you meet someone for the first time, you don’t know everything about them. What we ought to do is assemble a giant database. On everyone.</p><p>Brilliant idea. But there are a couple of provisos, they add. This database will be sourced from whatever scraps of information are lying around about you – whether carefully crafted, or pulled from the streets. The product of your life’s work; or just some odd thing you once said or did, long ago, somewhere that the database decides to rank highly and eternally.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/right-to-be-forgotten-google-swiss-cheese-internet-database-of-ruin">Continue reading...</a>Right to be forgottenInternetTechnologyData protectionIntellectual propertySat, 01 Aug 2015 09:00:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/right-to-be-forgotten-google-swiss-cheese-internet-database-of-ruinPhotograph: Getty ImagesHarvard professor Jonathan Zittrain says the right to be forgotten is creating a ‘swiss cheese internet’ full of holes.Photograph: Getty ImagesHarvard professor Jonathan Zittrain says the right to be forgotten is creating a ‘swiss cheese internet’ full of holes.Julia Powles2015-08-01T09:00:08ZZuckerbergs' baby announcement immediately upstaged by their doghttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/zuckerberg-baby-announcement-upstaged-by-their-dog
<p>Beast, a puli, is the newest internet celebrity thanks to his moppy hair and unusual heritage</p><p>When Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, announced they <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/mark-zuckerberg-wife-expecting-baby-girl">are expecting a baby girl</a>, the internet showered them with praise. At last count, nearly 800,000 people had liked the Facebook announcement in which they shared the big news. </p><p>But this being the internet, the happy couple were almost immediately upstaged by their dog.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/zuckerberg-baby-announcement-upstaged-by-their-dog">Continue reading...</a>Mark ZuckerbergFacebookTechnologyUS newsDogsFri, 31 Jul 2015 23:12:57 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/zuckerberg-baby-announcement-upstaged-by-their-dogPhotograph: FacebookMeet Beast: friend, dog, mop.Kayla Epstein in New York2015-07-31T23:12:57ZThe Swindle review – an indie crime caper that almost got away with ithttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/the-swindle-review-an-indie-caper-that-almost-got-away-with-it
<p>PS4/PS3/PSVita/PC (version tested); cert n/a; Size Five Games</p><p>Gaming has its trends, and in recent times one has been the procedurally generated or “roguelike” indie game. You could go back over decades picking out examples of this design technique, but the big inspiration for this modern flowering is the success of Spelunky. A 2D platformer that married Nintendo-quality controls with brilliant enemies and ever-changing environments, it’s not only a classic but shows why the technique is so attractive to small teams. A procedurally generated game can, if you get it right, keep surprising players for years and even decades to come.<br tabindex="-1" /></p><p>The Swindle is firmly in this lineage, a treasure-focused platformer with an emphasis on stealth and an overarching structure that gives each individual “run” its own importance. Playing as a succession of thieves in a world of steampunk Victoriana, your goal is to filch enough cash to upgrade your thieves’ capabilities, access new areas, and steal a new crime-busting invention from Scotland Yard before 100 days are up. Each heist takes one day, and if you die then that’s that – the cash is lost, the day is wasted, and you move on to the next thief (they have great names: a particular favourite was the short-lived Pleasant Undercarriage.)<br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/the-swindle-review-an-indie-caper-that-almost-got-away-with-it">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyFri, 31 Jul 2015 11:11:40 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/the-swindle-review-an-indie-caper-that-almost-got-away-with-itPhotograph: The GuardianThe Swindle is 80% of the way to a great gamePhotograph: The GuardianThe Swindle is 80% of the way to a great gameRich Stanton2015-07-31T11:11:40ZUber valued at nearly $51bn after latest funding roundhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/uber-valued-51bn-latest-funding-round
<p>Online taxi-hailing app raises close to $1bn from investors including Microsoft and Indian media conglomerate Bennett Coleman &amp; Co’s Times Internet</p><p>Uber Technologies Inc has closed a new round of funding that values the online taxi-hailing company at nearly $51bn, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.<br /></p><p> Uber raised close to $1bn in the round, bringing its total funding to more than $5bn, <a href="http://on.wsj.com/1guj46w">WSJ reported</a> on Friday, citing one of the people.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/uber-valued-51bn-latest-funding-round">Continue reading...</a>UberTechnologyBusinessFri, 31 Jul 2015 21:46:53 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/uber-valued-51bn-latest-funding-roundPhotograph: Saurabh Das/APRide-hailing service Uber has announced a $1bn investment for the Indian market for the next nine months.Reuters2015-07-31T21:46:53ZGoogle Glass is back! But now it's for businesses?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/google-glass-wearable-computer-businesses
<p>Head-mounted wearable computer is returning to the market, but this time aimed squarely at business users rather than consumers</p><p>Google has quietly resurrected its wearable computer, Glass, as an enterprise-focused device aimed at industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and energy.</p><p>The unannounced relaunch, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-quietly-distributes-new-version-of-glass-aimed-at-workplaces-1438283319">reported by the Wall Street Journal</a>, could be followed a year later by a new consumer version. But for now, the device is aimed exclusively at business customers who gain immediate value from having a head-mounted display, and bypass many of the issues experienced by consumer users, particularly the privacy concerns sparked by wearing a head-mounted camera in public places.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/google-glass-wearable-computer-businesses">Continue reading...</a>Google GlassTechnologyGoogleWearable technologyFri, 31 Jul 2015 14:19:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/google-glass-wearable-computer-businessesPhotograph: John Minchillo/APGoogle Glass ‘Bold’ prescription frame range from 2014. The wearable computer will now be relaunched for the business community, after a poor initial consumer-targeted run.Photograph: John Minchillo/APGoogle Glass ‘Bold’ prescription frame range from 2014. The wearable computer will now be relaunched for the business community, after a poor initial consumer-targeted run.Alex Hern2015-07-31T14:19:29ZAmazon Studios chief: data isn't everything as retailer looks at big picturehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/amazon-studios-expands-hollywood-imprint-data-transparent
<p>As Seattle-based company rapidly expands TV and movies division, the man in driver’s seat makes it clear that Netflix is not the only game in town</p><p>When it comes to the rapidly expanding TV and movies division of Seattle-based retailer Amazon, you might expect the company that religiously studies customer order histories, when and how people buy, what they’re buying and a slew of other metrics, to bring that same zeal for data to its slate of original content.<br /></p><p>After all, Amazon’s much bigger streaming competitor – Netflix – is famously data-driven, living and dying by what users are watching, how long they’re watching and using that to make guesses about what they want to see more of. As Amazon Studios chief Roy Price explains it, though, when it comes to Hollywood – data isn’t everything.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/amazon-studios-expands-hollywood-imprint-data-transparent">Continue reading...</a>Amazon.comTechnologyNetflixMediaUS newsUS televisionTelevisionTelevision & radioCultureSun, 02 Aug 2015 11:30:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/amazon-studios-expands-hollywood-imprint-data-transparentPhotograph: APJeffrey Tambor, right, as Maura, and, Amy Landecker as Sarah, in Amazon’s award-winning show Transparent.Photograph: APJeffrey Tambor, right, as Maura, and, Amy Landecker as Sarah, in Amazon’s award-winning show Transparent.Andy Meek2015-08-02T11:30:03ZOn the road: Skoda Fabia – car reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/car-review-skoda-fabia-zoe-williams
<p>‘It didn’t set my world on fire. It probably thinks setting things on fire is irresponsible’</p><p>I can seriously see the point of the Skoda Fabia. I can’t stand the convention that, as soon as you have a family, you have to start driving some lumbering bison of a car, destined to stick out in car parks and squeeze down urban roads. I&nbsp;would much rather drive something that looked like a hot hatch and just happened to have a bunch of people and animals in the back.</p><p>OK, the Fabia does not look like a hot hatch. It doesn’t look hot. It looks like your existing girlfriend. No, just kidding! That kind of sexist objectification has no place in car reviewing. It looks dependable and friendly, but not particularly invigorating. I’m not sure that it would wow the younger audience, but then I always think the young car buyer who has money is a figment of the industry’s imagination.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/car-review-skoda-fabia-zoe-williams">Continue reading...</a>MotoringTechnologySat, 01 Aug 2015 05:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/01/car-review-skoda-fabia-zoe-williamsPhotograph: PR‘Apart from daintiness, the main thing to recommend it is the economy.’Photograph: PR‘Apart from daintiness, the main thing to recommend it is the economy.’Zoe Williams2015-08-01T05:00:03ZFacebook launches Aquila solar-powered drone for internet accesshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/facebook-finishes-aquila-solar-powered-internet-drone-with-span-of-a-boeing-737
<p>Social media company plans to start testing the craft, which is intended to provide internet access to remote areas, within months </p><p>Facebook has revealed its first full-scale drone, which it plans to use to provide internet access in remote parts of the world.</p><p>Code-named “Aquila”, the solar-powered drone will be able to fly without landing for three months at a time, using a laser to beam data to a base station on the ground.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/facebook-finishes-aquila-solar-powered-internet-drone-with-span-of-a-boeing-737">Continue reading...</a>FacebookUS newsSocial networkingTechnologyDrones (non-military)InternetFri, 31 Jul 2015 03:23:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/facebook-finishes-aquila-solar-powered-internet-drone-with-span-of-a-boeing-737Photograph: ReutersFacebook drone Aquila awaits testing later this year.Alex Hern and agencies2015-07-31T03:23:00ZWill a 50/50 pledge help fix gender equality in tech?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/women-technology-gender-equality-50-50-pledge
<p>Sandi MacPherson’s 50/50 Pledge is indicative of a movement that’s aiming for a fair proportion of men and women at tech events – and eventually in the industry</p><p>Women are woefully<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/08/sexism-silicon-valley-women"> under-represented</a> in the tech industry. A<a href="http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/blank-center/global-research/diana/Documents/diana-project-executive-summary-2014.pdf"> study last year</a> found that of 6,517 companies that had raised venture funding in the US only 183 had a female chief executive. Now one of those is setting out a simple, practical idea that might actually move the dial.</p><p>Launched this week by <a href="https://twitter.com/sandimac">Sandi MacPherson</a>, founder of the San Francisco-based social networking startup <a href="http://quibb.com/">Quibb</a>, the<a href="http://5050pledge.com/"> 50/50 Pledge</a> aims to get an equal proportion of men and women on stage at tech events by connecting organisers with a directory of relevant female experts. Since the directory was tweeted out by MacPherson “with no expectations” in May it has already accrued over 1,100 names, with candidates ranging from software engineers to chief marketing officers at companies such as Google, Facebook and BuzzFeed.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/women-technology-gender-equality-50-50-pledge">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyEqualityTEDSilicon ValleyComputingFri, 31 Jul 2015 10:10:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/women-technology-gender-equality-50-50-pledgePhotograph: Money Sharma/EPAFacebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg, shown here speaking during a session in New Delhi India last year, is one of the few women who has risen to a top job in technology and is a frequent guest on panels.Photograph: Money Sharma/EPAFacebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg, shown here speaking during a session in New Delhi India last year, is one of the few women who has risen to a top job in technology and is a frequent guest on panels.Molly Flatt2015-07-31T10:10:00ZGoogle says non to French demand to expand right to be forgotten worldwidehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/google-rejects-france-expand-right-to-be-forgotten-worldwide
<p>Search firm rejects regulator’s demand to remove links from google.com as well as its European subsidiaries</p><p>Google has rejected the French data protection authority’s demand that it censor search results worldwide in order to comply with the European Court of Justice’s so-called right to be forgotten ruling.</p><p>The company’s rejection of the ruling could see its French subsidiary facing daily fines, although no explicit sanction has yet been declared. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/google-rejects-france-expand-right-to-be-forgotten-worldwide">Continue reading...</a>Right to be forgottenGoogleEuropean UnionFranceEuropeInternetTechnologyWorld newsThu, 30 Jul 2015 16:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/google-rejects-france-expand-right-to-be-forgotten-worldwidePhotograph: Dominic Lipinski/PAA phone displays the right to be forgotten request form.Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PAA phone displays the right to be forgotten request form.Alex Hern2015-07-30T16:00:03ZFrom Out Run to Wii Sports: The nine greatest summer video gameshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/outrun-wii-sports-nine-greatest-summer-video-games
<p>No need to check the weather forecast for our stroll through decades of sunny seasonal offerings, through Vice City and Xtreme Beach Volleyball</p><p>We have such a fraught relationship with summer in Britain. Most of the time, the sun skulks behind cloud cover, only briefly surfacing to give us false hope on the first day of Wimbledon. Its fleeting visits are met with near orgiastic excitement as even we grown adults flock to ice cream vans or hastily erect rusting barbecues so that we can give all our neighbours botulism. No sunny day can be taken for granted, so the result is stress and resentment. You don’t <em>want</em> to put a bikini on and frolic in the surf, but you have to or the summer police will come and bang you up. </p><p>This is why, unless you can spend three months of the year in Portugal, video games are the best place to revel in sunshine. None of these classics will ever be rained off or require the purchase of a Pack-a-Mac. And if you get bored of the endless cobalt skies, you can just switch off and go outside in the rain. Nobody loses. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/outrun-wii-sports-nine-greatest-summer-video-games">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyRetro gamesPlayStationXboxPCIndie gamesNintendoCultureThu, 30 Jul 2015 08:31:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/outrun-wii-sports-nine-greatest-summer-video-gamesPhotograph: SegaOut Run – 30p a go in the arcade in Blackpool, but at least you were dry and warm for a few minutes.Photograph: SegaOut Run – 30p a go in the arcade in Blackpool, but at least you were dry and warm for a few minutes.Keith Stuart2015-07-30T08:31:42ZNew York village paid ransom to keep its computers running, comptroller sayshttp://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/31/new-york-ilion-ransom-municipal-computers-hacking
<p>Ilion made payments of $500 and $300 last year after ‘ransomware’ infected municipal computers, while other US towns dealt with similar attacks</p><p>A village in central New York made ransom payments of $300 and $500 last year to keep its computers running after two official-looking emails released malware throughout its system, state auditors said. </p><p>The comptroller’s office, which has audited 100 municipal computer systems in the past three years, said Ilion’s experience should warn others of the growing threat, which can infiltrate computers and make them inaccessible. The big problem for the village of 8,000 was its financial software. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/31/new-york-ilion-ransom-municipal-computers-hacking">Continue reading...</a>New YorkHackingUS newsTechnologyCybercrimeFri, 31 Jul 2015 20:23:31 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/31/new-york-ilion-ransom-municipal-computers-hackingPhotograph: APIlion comptroller: ‘This attack shows how the lack of basic IT safeguards can potentially cost taxpayers and cripple the day-to-day operations of municipalities.’Associated Press in Albany, New York2015-07-31T20:23:31ZFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife expecting a baby girlhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/mark-zuckerberg-wife-expecting-baby-girl
<p>Facebook CEO and his wife Priscilla Chan, who married in 2012, have had three miscarriages, Zuckerberg writes on Facebook page announcing the pregnancy</p><p> Facebook Inc chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl, he said on his Facebook page on Friday.</p><p> The couple, who married in 2012, have been trying to have a child and had three miscarriages, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10102276573729791&amp;set=a.529237706231.2034669.4&amp;type=1&amp;theater">he wrote</a>. Zuckerberg, 31, did not say when their daughter is due but said the pregnancy was far enough along that the risk of miscarriage was low.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/mark-zuckerberg-wife-expecting-baby-girl">Continue reading...</a>Mark ZuckerbergTechnologyFacebookUS newsFri, 31 Jul 2015 19:17:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/31/mark-zuckerberg-wife-expecting-baby-girlPhotograph: Andrew Gombert/EPAFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan in 2013.Reuters in San Francisco2015-07-31T19:17:11ZChannel 4 renews Humans for second series ahead of season finalehttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jul/31/channel-4-renews-humans-second-series-season-finale
<p>Sci-fi show is broadcaster’s most successful drama in 20 years, with audiences engrossed by its depiction of AI and how it could threaten mankind</p><p>Channel 4 has announced there will be a second series of Humans, its most successful drama in 20 years, ahead of the show’s highly anticipated season finale on Sunday night.</p><p>Set in a parallel present, Humans has prompted widespread debate about artificial intelligence. It imagines a world in which we increasingly rely on robots, marketed as high-tech luxury house appliances. As the eight-part drama has progressed, it has wrestled with questions around artificial intelligence and its possible threat to mankind, as well as exploring what it means to be human. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jul/31/channel-4-renews-humans-second-series-season-finale">Continue reading...</a>HumansChannel 4UK newsTelevisionTelevision & radioTelevision industryCultureMediaArtificial intelligence (AI)ConsciousnessScienceTechnologyFri, 31 Jul 2015 17:50:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jul/31/channel-4-renews-humans-second-series-season-finalePhotograph: Channel 4Gemma Chan in Humans. The series has tackled questions about the potential dangers of AI.Hannah Ellis-Petersen2015-07-31T17:50:00ZCyber attack hits RBS and NatWest online customers on paydayhttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/rbs-and-natwest-customers-complain-of-online-problems
<p>Banking group says Distributed Denial of Service attack prompted flood of complaints from customers</p><p>The RBS banking group has revealed it suffered a cyber attack on its online services that left customers struggling to log on for nearly an hour – just as monthly pay cheques were arriving in accounts. <br /></p><p>The group, which boasts 6.5m customers under the NatWest, RBS and Ulster brands, said it was the victim of a deliberate surge in internet traffic, called “Distributed Denial of Service”. This floods a company’s site with millions of requests, potentially bringing it to a standstill. The “distributed” version of a cyber attack involves thousands of computers under the control of one attacker.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/rbs-and-natwest-customers-complain-of-online-problems">Continue reading...</a>Royal Bank of ScotlandBankingBusinessBanks and building societiesMoneyCybercrimeInternetTechnologyFri, 31 Jul 2015 15:24:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/rbs-and-natwest-customers-complain-of-online-problemsPhotograph: Jonathan Nicholson/Demotix/CorbisNatWest bank – victim of cyber attack.Patrick Collinson2015-07-31T15:24:46ZMartin Lewis nets £25m after selling Moneysupermarket.com shareshttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/saving-expert-martin-lewis-sells-25m-moneysupermarket-shares
<p>Personal finance journalist Lewis sold 9m shares at £2.80, reducing his stake in the website from 3.1% to 1.5%</p><p>Martin Lewis, the personal finance journalist, has made &pound;25.2m after selling a large portion of his shares in the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/marketforceslive/2015/feb/04/moneysupermarket-slips-on-growth-worries-and-google-threat">price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com</a>.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/mar/25/moneysupermarketcom-founder-pulls-out-of-95m-share-sale">Moneysupermarket.com founder pulls out of &pound;95m share sale</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/saving-expert-martin-lewis-sells-25m-moneysupermarket-shares">Continue reading...</a>Moneysupermarket.comBusinessInternetTechnologyFri, 31 Jul 2015 12:35:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/saving-expert-martin-lewis-sells-25m-moneysupermarket-sharesPhotograph: Andrew Matthews/PAMartin Lewis, the founder Money Saving Expert, made £35m when the consumer website was purchased by Moneysupermarket in 2012.Press Association2015-07-31T12:35:09ZWindows 10: it launched so quietly you may have missed ithttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/windows-10-launched-quietly-microsoft
<p>Despite the lack of flourish and giant ads, a lot rides on the success of the new Windows version for Microsoft and its chief executive</p><p>Twenty years ago the launch of a new version of Windows merited midnight store openings and a seven-figure payment to use a Rolling Stones song in ads celebrating the new Start menu. Early on Wednesday the release of Windows 10 happened silently, with millions of computers around the world updated over the internet.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-review">Windows 10 review – final version of Windows might be Microsoft's best ever</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/windows-10-launched-quietly-microsoft">Continue reading...</a>Windows 10WindowsMicrosoftComputingTechnologySoftwareSmartphonesMobile phonesTelecomsAppleAndroidUK newsWed, 29 Jul 2015 15:42:22 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/windows-10-launched-quietly-microsoftPhotograph: Xinhua/Rex ShutterstockA Microsoft Taiwan staff member at the launch of Windows 10 in Taipei.Charles Arthur2015-07-29T15:42:22ZRichard Calder obituaryhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/richard-calder-obituary
<p>My father, Richard Calder, who has died aged 78, was an engineer who lived and worked all over the world and who had a special love for Brazil.</p><p>He was born in Surrey but brought up in New Zealand, where his father, Malcolm, was an air vice-marshal and later chief of the New Zealand Air Staff. With his mother, Peggy (nee Mandeno), and his sister Susan, the young Richard travelled around the UK, Malaya and South East Asia visiting his father, who was stationed in various parts of the world. At Wanganui Collegiate boarding school in New Zealand, Richard’s passions were flying, fishing and aeroplanes, and he desperately wanted to join the air force. But bad eyesight precluded him from doing that, and instead he graduated with a degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from Canterbury University, New Zealand.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/richard-calder-obituary">Continue reading...</a>EngineeringTechnologyBrazilAmericasWorld newsMon, 27 Jul 2015 16:17:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/richard-calder-obituaryPhotograph: PRRichard Calder fell in love with everything he found in Brazil, especially the music, the dancing and the heatPhotograph: PRRichard Calder fell in love with everything he found in Brazil, especially the music, the dancing and the heatRachel Calder2015-07-27T16:17:17ZMike Lynch's cybersecurity startup Darktrace valued at more than £60mhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/22/mike-lynch-darktrace-valued-at-more-than-60m-pounds
<p>Anti-hacking technology backed by former founder of Autonomy attracts $22.5m funding from venture capital firm Summit Partners</p><p>A British cybersecurity firm backed by software entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been valued at more than $100m (&pound;64m) in a new funding round.</p><p>Cambridge-based Darktrace aims to combat sophisticated cyber-attacks with software that learns the behavioural patterns of every device, user and network within an organisation. When unusual activity is detected, the Darktrace software alerts human cybersecurity experts.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/22/mike-lynch-darktrace-valued-at-more-than-60m-pounds">Continue reading...</a>Data and computer securityCybercrimeHackingAutonomyInternetTechnologyBusinessUK newsVenture capitalTechnology startupsWed, 22 Jul 2015 18:13:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/22/mike-lynch-darktrace-valued-at-more-than-60m-poundsPhotograph: Matt LLoyd/Rex FeaturesThe blockbuster sale of Mike Lynch’s former company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard went sour in 2012.Photograph: Matt LLoyd/Rex FeaturesThe blockbuster sale of Mike Lynch’s former company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard went sour in 2012.Juliette Garside2015-07-22T18:13:20ZInstagram, an artist and the $100,000 selfies – appropriation in the digital agehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/18/instagram-artist-richard-prince-selfies
<p>Richard Prince has turned borrowing online images into high art – and hard cash. But is the artist’s work anything other than genius trolling?</p><p>It’s a question as old as art itself: “<em>Yeah, but is it art?</em>” </p><p>Type it into Google and get 1.26 billion results. It lends itself to <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/But-Is-It-Art-Introduction/dp/0192853678">book</a> titles, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIa-NtGV-ZM">television series</a> and conversations between white walls, whetted by prosecco.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/18/instagram-artist-richard-prince-selfies">Continue reading...</a>InternetTechnologyArt and designArtCultureInstagramSocial mediaSat, 18 Jul 2015 09:00:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/18/instagram-artist-richard-prince-selfiesPhotograph: Jan Gatewood/Amanda BodellTwo of the photographs featured in Richard Prince’s New Portraits exhibition: YoungDuckits and Amanda Bodell.Hannah Jane Parkinson2015-07-18T09:00:08ZArtist 3D prints Donald Trump butt plug in protest at immigration rhetorichttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/donald-trump-butt-plug-3d-printing
<p>‘When I heard Donald Trump’s remarks about Mexicans and latinos from South America I was extremely angry’ explains Fernando Sosa</p><p>Artist Fernando Sosa has found a novel way to protest at Donald Trump’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/02/donald-trump-racist-claims-mexico-rapes">recent comments about Mexican immigrants</a>: he’s turned the Republican presidential candidate into a butt plug.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/14/donald-trump-nazi-soldiers-tweet-top-republican-polls">Donald Trump campaign tweets photo with Nazi soldiers – then leads polls</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/donald-trump-butt-plug-3d-printing">Continue reading...</a>3D printingDonald TrumpMexicoUS newsTechnologyUS politicsRepublicansUS elections 2016Wed, 15 Jul 2015 06:19:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/donald-trump-butt-plug-3d-printingPhotograph: PRThis 3D-printed Donald Trump butt plug is, suffice to say, not official campaign merchandise.Photograph: PRThis 3D-printed Donald Trump butt plug is, suffice to say, not official campaign merchandise.Stuart Dredge2015-07-15T06:19:11ZGearbox CEO Randy Pitchford on gamer criticism: 'some people are sadists'http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/gearbox-ceo-randy-pitchford-gamer-criticism
<p>Gearbox co-founder hints at bitter attacks received over Aliens Colonial Marines controversy in keynote speech at Develop conference</p><p>Randy Pitchford, the chief executive of Gearbox Software, has used a keynote speech at the Develop conference in Brighton to address the issue of vocal, highly critical gamers – with specific references to the controversy over the studio’s 2013 release <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/feb/12/alien-colonial-marines-game-review">Aliens: Colonial Marines</a>.</p><p>After performing a magic trick based on the Three Card Monte street scam, the industry veteran told attendees that, while many spectators would quietly appreciate any entertainment act, a small percentage would be critical and would seek to validate that by attempting to convert others. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/gearbox-ceo-randy-pitchford-gamer-criticism">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyControversyPlayStationXboxEventsGame cultureCultureMediaWed, 15 Jul 2015 09:56:23 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/gearbox-ceo-randy-pitchford-gamer-criticismPhotograph: SegaAliens Colonial Marines – the Gearbox shooter definitely had its vocal critics.Photograph: SegaAliens Colonial Marines – the Gearbox shooter definitely had its vocal critics.Keith Stuart2015-07-15T09:56:23ZHow Ellen Pao lost her job but survived Reddit's swamp of trollshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/ellen-pao-reddit-trolls-feminist-silicon-valley
<p>Silicon Valley’s most controversial executive has personified the discrimination and harassment directed at women in technology and on the internet. A look back at her landmark gender lawsuit and her ouster at Reddit reveals how much – and how little – has changed</p><p>When Ellen Pao took the witness stand four months ago, accusing the most powerful venture-capital firm in the most powerful new industry of pervasive sexism against her and powerful women like her, she talked about the “right path”.</p><p>Pao’s own attorney asked the 46-year-old executive why she continued to fight Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp; Byers, the firm that accused her of being a bad employee, even as she had become the top executive at Reddit, the influential social-media website that is infamous for nothing if not its trolls. The site’s former contributors – Pao now among them – describe it as a kind of misogynist fire swamp where “harassment swarms”, even and especially for an accidental feminist champion like its suddenly former CEO.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/ellen-pao-reddit-trolls-feminist-silicon-valley">Continue reading...</a>RedditTechnologySilicon ValleyInternetVenture capitalWomen in the boardroomBusinessGenderUS newsWorld newsCaliforniaSan FranciscoDigital mediaMediaSun, 12 Jul 2015 12:19:19 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/ellen-pao-reddit-trolls-feminist-silicon-valleyPhotograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesEllen Pao leaves the California superior court civic center courthouse during a lunch break from her trial in March.Beth Winegarner in San Francisco2015-07-12T12:19:19ZPebble boss: ‘one day, people will not be able to live without their smartwatch’http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/16/pebble-boss-eric-migicovsky-smartwatches-app
<p>Eric Migicovsky says Pebble is the Swatch of iPhone wearables and predicts, as with smartphones in 2007, the key experiences are yet to come</p><p>“When I look five years ahead, I see computers getting smaller and smaller, and I see them really worn on our bodies. We’re going to be wearing more computers on us: I think that’s inevitable.”</p><p>You would probably say the same if you were Eric Migicovsky, who runs smartwatch maker Pebble, whose business model involves selling people computers to wear on their bodies.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/16/pebble-boss-eric-migicovsky-smartwatches-app">Continue reading...</a>SmartwatchesTechnologyWearable technologyApple WatchAndroidAppleGoogleComputingSoftwareThu, 16 Jul 2015 06:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/16/pebble-boss-eric-migicovsky-smartwatches-appPhotograph: PRPebble’s smartwatches have been success stories on Kickstarter.Photograph: PRPebble’s smartwatches have been success stories on Kickstarter.Stuart Dredge2015-07-16T06:00:02ZUncharted’s Nolan North: ‘I’m the best kind of actor – the working kind’http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/uncharted-nolan-north-voice-nathan-drake
His work providing the voice of Nathan Drake on PlayStation’s Uncharted series has made him one of the biggest stars of the video games industry<p><strong>As Nathan Drake in PlayStation’s <em>Uncharted</em> series, Nolan North pioneered a new standard in video game performance while establishing himself as a leading voice actor in both games and animation. But the trick, he says, is not to compartmentalise yourself …</strong></p><p><strong>Is there a secret to becoming a voice actor?</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/uncharted-nolan-north-voice-nathan-drake">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyGamesCulturePlayStationSonyMon, 13 Jul 2015 06:30:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/uncharted-nolan-north-voice-nathan-drakePhotograph: PRNolan North has been the voice of Nathan Drake, above, since the first Uncharted game in 2007.Photograph: PRNolan North has been the voice of Nathan Drake, above, since the first Uncharted game in 2007.Nathan Ditum2015-07-13T06:30:03ZLiving dolls: sci-fi’s fascination with artificial womenhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/living-dolls-artificial-women-robots
<p>From Pygmalion to Ex Machina, the idea – and the ideal – of building a ‘perfect woman’ has come down through history. A new book explores why</p><p>From mechanical dolls to the eponymous Copp&eacute;lia, the Jetsons’ Rosie to <em>Ex Machina</em>’s beguiling Ava, the lure of technology to create a manifestation of “the perfect woman” has long proved seductive.</p><p>But just why are automatons so attractive? And just what is this “perfect woman” anyway? Rounding up a veritable sorority of artificial Eves, <a href="http://www.juliewosk.com/">Julie Wosk </a>delves into the issues in her latest book <em>My Fair Ladies</em>, casting an analytical eye over female depictions, both physical and fictitious, to explore the history and the future of Woman 2.0.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/living-dolls-artificial-women-robots">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyBooksCultureRobotsGenderWomenHerMon, 13 Jul 2015 06:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/living-dolls-artificial-women-robotsPhotograph: Everett/RexIn the film The Stepford Wives, above, women were turned into unthinking slaves.Photograph: Everett/RexIn the film The Stepford Wives, above, women were turned into unthinking slaves.Nicola Davis2015-07-13T06:00:03ZWilliam Hurt: ‘My competition these days isn’t another actor. It’s a computer-generated image at Pixar’http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/william-hurt-humans-me-and-my-tech
<p>The American star of Humans likes computer science, but hates autocorrect. As for owning a robot, he’s really not sure…</p><p><strong>Are you a gadget fiend or a technophobe?</strong></p><p>I’ve been interested in technology and computers since I was 17. I always figured that science fiction is mostly science probability. The ideas in people’s imaginations become fact pretty quickly these days.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/william-hurt-humans-me-and-my-tech">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyHumansChannel 4Television industryMediaTelevisionSun, 12 Jul 2015 09:59:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/william-hurt-humans-me-and-my-techPhotograph: Bret Hartman/Channel4Photograph: Bret Hartman/Channel4Michael Hogan2015-07-12T09:59:06ZOnePlus: setting its sights on changing the world with affordable smartphoneshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/10/oneplus-affordable-smartphones-two-carl-pei
<p>With the launch of its OnePlus 2 model imminent, company co-founder Carl Pei explains why scale will allow it to work with the ‘best-in-class’</p><p>Carl Pei has an ambition: to have 100 million users of his OnePlus smartphones. But he says it’s not just self interest which is driving him, he wants to create a platform that will help its users to do good.</p><p>“If there’s an earthquake, we can nudge them to donate money, or help in some other way, to get free credits on their OnePlus account. Or some other incentive,” he says.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/10/oneplus-affordable-smartphones-two-carl-pei">Continue reading...</a>SmartphonesMobile phonesTechnologyTelecomsFri, 10 Jul 2015 10:10:25 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/10/oneplus-affordable-smartphones-two-carl-peiPhotograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesCarl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, hopes to work with ‘the best in the internet of things and apps’ as the company grows.Charles Arthur2015-07-10T10:10:25ZUbisoft chief: 'We learned from the mistakes we made with Watch Dogs'http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/ubisoft-chief-mistakes-watch-dogs-yves-guillemot
<p>Yves Guillemot admits company raised expectations too high with its 2012 ambitious graphical demo of cyberpunk thriller <br></p><p>In 2012, a fallow year for the E3 video game expo in Los Angeles, Ubisoft revealed its latest open-world action adventure – and promptly stole the show. Watch Dogs, a cyberpunk thriller set in an astonishingly detailed recreation of Chicago, looked amazing, with its complex lighting effects, lifelike character animation and detailed weather simulation. </p><p>There was just one slight problem – when the game was released on PC and the next-gen consoles, the visuals <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-was-there-really-a-watch-dogs-graphics-downgrade">did not quite match that early promise</a>. For many gamers, the disparity symbolised a growing problem with games industry marketing: a reliance on “vertical slice” demos to build early hype. These pre-release presentations tend to be built on powerful PC hardware and are designed to give an impression of the performance levels that development teams are targeting. The problems come when the game is released months or even years later, and the reality fails to match the early promise, with the most ambitious and demanding effects often scaled down or missing. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/ubisoft-chief-mistakes-watch-dogs-yves-guillemot">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyPCPlayStation 4Xbox OneControversyE3E3 2015SonyXboxPlayStationMon, 06 Jul 2015 10:12:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/ubisoft-chief-mistakes-watch-dogs-yves-guillemotPhotograph: PRUbisoft says it was perhaps too ambitious with its cyberpunk thriller Watch Dogs , and has since changed its approach to pre-release marketingPhotograph: PRUbisoft says it was perhaps too ambitious with its cyberpunk thriller Watch Dogs , and has since changed its approach to pre-release marketingKeith Stuart2015-07-06T10:12:20ZMirror's Edge: Catalyst – 'I hope this is just the beginning'http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/01/mirrors-edge-catalyst-ea-dice
<p>EA Dice’s 2008 dystopian parkour adventure Mirror’s Edge was visually stunning but flawed. Now a long-awaited reboot seeks to fulfil its potential</p><p>First-person shooters are rarely ever about the person. We may view the ceaseless slaughter through the eyes of the lead protagonist but we rarely get a sense of them as a physical presence in the game world. They are a visual consciousness attached to a gun and a health gauge.</p><p>Mirror’s Edge was different. Built by Swedish studio EA Dice between the second and third generations of its multimillion-selling Battlefield titles, it made the body and experiences of lead character Faith Connors central to the action. Set in a stylised futuristic dystopia, the game mixed parkour exploration with the narrative of a paranoid chase movie, turning the city into a tense gymnastic playground, its soaring white towers a mere backdrop to the physicality of the avatar. While running, we could see Faith’s arms and legs on screen, the camera jogged as she sprinted and leapt. It was a strange and thrilling simulation of embodiment. It was flawed but beautiful. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/01/mirrors-edge-catalyst-ea-dice">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyPlayStationPlayStation 4XboxXbox OnePCCultureGame cultureWed, 01 Jul 2015 09:03:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/01/mirrors-edge-catalyst-ea-dicePhotograph: Electronic ArtsMirror’s Edge: Catalyst – developer EA Dice kept faith with the vision of its 2008 sci-fi adventure, rebooting the game for modern audiences and technologies.Photograph: Electronic ArtsMirror’s Edge: Catalyst – developer EA Dice kept faith with the vision of its 2008 sci-fi adventure, rebooting the game for modern audiences and technologies.Keith Stuart2015-07-01T09:03:50ZMan behind Darpa's robotics challenge: robots will soon learn from each otherhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/14/gill-pratt-darpa-robotics-challenge-cloud-robots
<p>Gill Pratt is set to leave the wing of the US defense department that develops cutting-edge technologies but lets us in on what’s next for the venerated agency</p><p>Gill Pratt invented legs. Well, sort of: the MIT-educated scientist invented electric series-elastic actuators, the technology that carried the <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/walking-the-dinosaur/">bipedal “dinosaur” robots</a> that wowed the scientific community in the early aughts. </p><p>Since 2010, he has worked for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), the wing of the US defense department devoted to funding and developing new technologies, from a self-steering bullet called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoOaJclkSZg">Exacto</a> to the packet-switching system, Arpanet, that became the internet. He is now set to leave the robotics challenge program.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/14/gill-pratt-darpa-robotics-challenge-cloud-robots">Continue reading...</a>RobotsTechnologyUS newsCloud computingInternetComputingSun, 14 Jun 2015 11:00:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/14/gill-pratt-darpa-robotics-challenge-cloud-robotsPhotograph: Patrick T. Fallon/ReutersSoon this guy will be able to help other robots learn, says Gill Pratt.Sam Thielman in New York2015-06-14T11:00:10ZGareth Malone: ‘I’ve arranged music on planes, boats and trains’http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/14/gareth-malone-me-and-my-tech
The choirmaster says technology has transformed his work and he even auditions singers via Skype and FaceTime<p><strong>Are you a gadget fiend or a technophobe?</strong></p><p>Definitely a gadget fiend. I was a proper nerd as a kid. A spod. I programmed my Amstrad CPC 464 in Basic and built my own number games. My first paid music job was singing in the touring production of <em>Evita</em>, aged 10 – a seminal moment in my life – and from the proceeds I bought a sampler. But because of the Amstrad’s memory limitations, you only had one second to play with, so you could only make stuff like the “Ta-ta-ta-take” bit in Respectable by Mel &amp; Kim.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/14/gareth-malone-me-and-my-tech">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyGareth MaloneMusicCultureSun, 14 Jun 2015 10:05:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/14/gareth-malone-me-and-my-techPhotograph: Andy Earl/Radio Times/PRGareth Malone says technology has transformed his work as a choirmaster. Photograph: Andy Earl/Radio TimesPhotograph: Andy Earl/Radio Times/PRGareth Malone says technology has transformed his work as a choirmaster. Photograph: Andy Earl/Radio TimesMichael Hogan2015-06-14T10:05:09ZApple Music interview: 'Algorithms can't do it alone – you need a human touch'http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/09/apple-music-interview-jimmy-iovine-eddy-cue
<p>Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue train their sights on Spotify, YouTube and other rivals: ‘Most of these other companies see themselves as utilities’</p><p>Apple isn’t just gunning for Spotify with its <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/08/apple-music-streaming-service-wwdc-spotify">new Apple Music streaming service</a>. It’s gunning for radio broadcasters.</p><p>Its combination of live radio station Beats 1 and a range of non-live stations programmed by DJs aims to seduce listeners away from traditional radio, and then sell some of them a $9.99-a-month streaming subscription.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/09/apple-music-interview-jimmy-iovine-eddy-cue">Continue reading...</a>AppleDigital music and audioiTunesMusic industryTechnologyMusicMediaCultureSpotifyApple MusicTue, 09 Jun 2015 09:12:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/09/apple-music-interview-jimmy-iovine-eddy-cuePhotograph: TNS /Landov / Barcroft Media/TNS /Landov / Barcroft MediaApple’s Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue on-stage at WWDC as Apple Music was unveiled.Photograph: TNS /Landov / Barcroft Media/TNS /Landov / Barcroft MediaApple’s Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue on-stage at WWDC as Apple Music was unveiled.Stuart Dredge2015-06-09T09:12:42ZUber and the lawlessness of 'sharing economy' corporateshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/uber-lawlessness-sharing-economy-corporates-airbnb-google
<p>Companies including Airbnb and Google compare themselves to civil rights heroes, while using their popularity among consumers to nullify federal law<br></p><p>In February, Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky <a href="http://sfist.com/2015/02/16/airbnb_ceo_apologizes_for_gandhi_co.php">compared</a> his firm’s defiance of local housing ordinances with that of Gandhi’s passive resistance to British rule. Meanwhile, a tweeter <a href="https://twitter.com/thetens/status/566437592531341313">compared</a> Uber to Rosa Parks, defying unjust laws. Chesky quickly backed down after widespread mockery. Companies acting out of self-interest comparing themselves with the noble heroes of civil rights movements is as absurd as it is insulting.</p><p>But there is a better analogy from the US civil rights era for <a href="http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2015/07/uber-vs-laws-000172">law-flouting firms</a> of the on-demand economy. It’s just not the one corporate leaders claim. They are engaged in what we call “corporate nullification”, following in the footsteps of Southern governors and legislatures in the United States who declared themselves free to <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/01/22/mike_huckabee_and_orval_faubus_on_segregation_they_sound_the_same.html">“nullify” federal law</a> on the basis of strained and opportunistic constitutional interpretation.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/uber-lawlessness-sharing-economy-corporates-airbnb-google">Continue reading...</a>UberAirbnbGoogleTechnologySilicon ValleyUS justice systemUS newsWorld newsFranceEuropeTue, 28 Jul 2015 06:00:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/uber-lawlessness-sharing-economy-corporates-airbnb-googlePhotograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/ReutersTravis Kalanick, Uber CEO. ‘Nullifying companies like Uber claim they are striking a blow against regulations they consider “out-of-date” or “anti-innovation” – their major innovation, however, is to undermine local needs and effective governance.’Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/ReutersTravis Kalanick, Uber CEO. ‘Nullifying companies like Uber claim they are striking a blow against regulations they consider “out-of-date” or “anti-innovation” – their major innovation, however, is to undermine local needs and effective governance.’Frank Pasquale and Siva Vaidhyanathan2015-07-28T06:00:08ZShould I buy a thumb PC, mini-desktop or tablet to replace my old PC?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/30/should-i-buy-a-thumb-pc-mini-desktop-or-tablet-to-replace-my-old-pc
<p>Suman Nayyar needs to replace his seven-year-old Windows XP PC and isn’t sure what to get, but there are certainly plenty of alternatives</p><p>Can a thumb PC or mini-desktop replace my seven-year-old Windows XP PC? Or, as desktops are on the way out, could I get away with using an iPad and iPhone? Basically, I do email, social media, web-surfing and photos. <strong>Suman Nayyar</strong></p><p>At this early stage, I wouldn’t recommend a “USB PC” such as the <a href="http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/compute-stick/intel-compute-stick.html">Intel Compute Stick</a> as a desktop replacement: a mini-desktop such as the <a href="http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/acer-revo-one-rl85-mini-desktop-pc-10124730-pdt.html">Acer Revo One</a> is more capable and much better value. The larger question is whether you can replace a PC with a tablet.<br /></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/30/should-i-buy-a-thumb-pc-mini-desktop-or-tablet-to-replace-my-old-pc">Continue reading...</a>ComputingTechnologyThu, 30 Jul 2015 09:48:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/30/should-i-buy-a-thumb-pc-mini-desktop-or-tablet-to-replace-my-old-pcPhotograph: Maurizio Pesce/flickrThe Acer Revo One <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pestoverde/16863290605/">Photograph: Maurizio Pesce/flickr</a>Photograph: Maurizio Pesce/flickrThe Acer Revo One <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pestoverde/16863290605/">Photograph: Maurizio Pesce/flickr</a>Jack Schofield2015-07-30T09:48:45ZWhat does the panopticon mean in the age of digital surveillance?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/panopticon-digital-surveillance-jeremy-bentham
<p>The parallel between Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon and CCTV may be clear, but what happens when you step into the world of data capture?<br></p><p>The philosopher Jeremy Bentham famously requested in his will that his body be dissected and put on public display. This came to pass, and his skeleton now sits in a glass case at University College London, adorned with a wax head, waistcoat and jacket and sat on a wooden stool, staring out at students from its glass case.</p><p>Bentham was regarded as the founder of utilitarianism and a leading advocate of the separation of church and state, freedom of expression and individual legal rights. And now, from beyond the grave, his cadaver contains a webcam that records the movements of its spectators and <a href="http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/panopticam/">broadcasts them live online</a>, part of UCL’s PanoptiCam project which tests, amonst other things, surveillance algorithms. As I write this, a young couple are walking across the corridor, his hand pressed against the small of her back. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/panopticon-digital-surveillance-jeremy-bentham">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyData protectionGCHQNSAThu, 23 Jul 2015 07:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/panopticon-digital-surveillance-jeremy-benthamPhotograph: The GuardianJeremy Bentham’s skeleton, with a wax head, on display at UCL.Photograph: The GuardianJeremy Bentham’s skeleton, with a wax head, on display at UCL.Thomas McMullan2015-07-23T07:00:03ZInternet of things: the greatest mass surveillance infrastructure ever?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/internet-of-things-mass-surveillance
<p>Does the expanding network of connected devices herald a brave new compact for our digital lives – or the end of politics?</p><p>The word “thing”, in Old English, means a <a href="http://www.oed.com/">meeting or assembly</a>. In the epic poem <a href="http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/beowulf/">Beowulf</a>, the eponymous hero declares he’ll “alone hold a thing” with the monster Grendel, who is terrorising the Danes in the great hall of Heorot. Beowulf uses “thing” euphemistically – it is a meeting that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf#First_battle:_Grendel">immediately</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf#First_battle:_Grendel"> </a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf#First_battle:_Grendel">descends</a> into a fight.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.althingi.is/">Icelandic parliament</a> is still called Althing (Al&thorn;ingi). But over the ages, “things” have gradually evolved from meetings to matter. Today, we primarily use the term “thing” to refer to objects. Even in this sense, however, things are still core to our political and social lives.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/internet-of-things-mass-surveillance">Continue reading...</a>Internet of thingsTechnologyInternetSurveillanceData protectionWed, 15 Jul 2015 14:10:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/15/internet-of-things-mass-surveillancePhotograph: GK & Vikki Hart / Photonica/Getty ImagesEver wanted your paranoia to extend to a fear of household appliances? You’re in luck ...Photograph: GK & Vikki Hart / Photonica/Getty ImagesEver wanted your paranoia to extend to a fear of household appliances? You’re in luck ...Julia Powles2015-07-15T14:10:56ZMetal Gear Squalid: has Kojima gone too bloody far this time?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/24/metal-gear-solid-v-phantom-pain-poster-hideo-kojima-konami-blood
<p>A new poster for Metal Gear Solid V makes the game look like a snuff movie. But is it just a distraction from an uncertain future for the classic series?</p><p>I’ve always denied that video games have anything to do with my near-constant violent urges, but <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/11/metal-gear-solid-v-phantom-pain-kojima-preview">Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain</a> has now forced a reassessment of just how desensitised one can become to gore and nudity. Earlier this week my partner was using the PC to book some train tickets and the next thing I know, she’s joking about having finally caught me looking at porn. Which of course would never happen. “What the hell is <em>this</em>?” she exclaimed, pointing to an image on my desktop.</p><p>“It’s okay,” I replied, “it’s just a new poster for the game Metal Gear Solid V.” And then I realised halfway through the sentence that what we were both looking at was a semi-naked woman whose large breasts are dripping in blood. The game’s male lead Big Boss is on there too, but of course, his body is not on show – just his head and shoulders, which are similarly splattered with gore. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/24/metal-gear-solid-v-phantom-pain-poster-hideo-kojima-konami-blood">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyControversyCultureGame culturePlayStationPlayStation 4PCXboxXbox OneFri, 24 Jul 2015 09:52:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/24/metal-gear-solid-v-phantom-pain-poster-hideo-kojima-konami-bloodPhotograph: KonamiA new poster for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain shows Snake and Quiet in the bloody aftermath of revengePhotograph: KonamiA new poster for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain shows Snake and Quiet in the bloody aftermath of revengeRich Stanton2015-07-24T09:52:41ZJeep owners urged to update their cars after hackers take remote controlhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/jeep-owners-urged-update-car-software-hackers-remote-control
<p>Security bug allows remote attack of Uconnect system, letting hackers apply the brakes, kill the engine and take control of steering over the internet</p><p>Security experts are urging owners of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles vehicles to update their onboard software after hackers took control of a Jeep over the internet and disabled the engine and brakes and crashed it into a ditch.<br /></p><p>A security hole in FCA’s Uconnect internet-enabled software allows hackers to remotely access the car’s systems and take control. Unlike some other cyberattacks on cars where only the entertainment system is vulnerable, the Uconnect hack affects driving systems from the GPS and windscreen wipers to the steering, brakes and engine control.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/jeep-owners-urged-update-car-software-hackers-remote-control">Continue reading...</a>HackingData and computer securityMotoringAutomotive industryWorld newsChryslerTechnologyJeepBusinessTue, 21 Jul 2015 14:30:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/jeep-owners-urged-update-car-software-hackers-remote-controlPhotograph: NRMA Motoring and Services/FlickrThe Jeep Cherokee is vulnerable to remote cyberattack that allows hackers to take control.Photograph: NRMA Motoring and Services/FlickrThe Jeep Cherokee is vulnerable to remote cyberattack that allows hackers to take control.Samuel Gibbs2015-07-21T14:30:10ZEverybody's Gone to the Rapture: writing a score for the end of the worldhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-video-game-sound-music
<p>How this very English view of the apocalypse communicates to the player through music, sound and song</p><p>Silence is rare in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – which is strange because everybody is dead. </p><p>This elegiac adventure game, set in a rural area of Shropshire, imagines the end of humanity coming, not as a nuclear bang, but as a soft, almost seductive whimper. The player finds themselves in an abandoned village shortly after a devastating event of some kind, and by exploring the buildings, pathways and woodlands, must try to piece together what has happened. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-video-game-sound-music">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyCultureGame cultureMusicClassical musicPlayStationPlayStation 4Indie gamesThu, 30 Jul 2015 07:00:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/30/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-video-game-sound-musicPhotograph: public domainEverybody’s Gone to the Rapture: the pastoral score and experimental sound effects are key to guiding the player through the game’s world.Photograph: public domainEverybody’s Gone to the Rapture: the pastoral score and experimental sound effects are key to guiding the player through the game’s world.Keith Stuart2015-07-30T07:00:15ZFallout 4: Todd Howard on loss in the post-apocalypse worldhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/fallout-4-todd-howard-post-apocalypse-peter-hines
<p>Bethesda’s VP of development and its marketing head, Pete Hines, reflect on how their team constructs a devastated future America </p><p>Todd Howard says he never stops thinking about the games he makes. When one Elder Scrolls or Fallout project ends, he’s already planning the next. As VP of development at Bethesda Games Studios in Maryland, the place he has worked for over 20 years, he has a comparatively small team by today’s standards – just 100 staff. But they have produced two of the industry’s most important and ambitious open-world franchises. And they seem to do this through a ceaseless sense of purpose. “You don’t ever stop talking,” says Howard about the creative process. “You never take a break.”</p><p>Fallout 4 is, of course, the latest project in that cycle. Set 200 years after the cataclysmic nuclear war that sets off the series, the role-playing odyssey gives players complete freedom to explore a devastated version of Boston, fighting with mutants, carrying out quests and collecting loot. In a preview level set before the apocalypse, you learn more about the 1950s-inspired society that pre-existed Armageddon, and get to fully customise your lead character. Then you wake up in a Vault two centuries later and – bam – everyone you know is dead.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/fallout-4-todd-howard-post-apocalypse-peter-hines">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyCultureGame culturePlayStationPlayStation 4XboxXbox OnePCRole playing gamesTue, 28 Jul 2015 07:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/fallout-4-todd-howard-post-apocalypse-peter-hinesPhotograph: BethesdaFallout 4 is about establishing a new life in a world that’s been decimated by war, but that rewards resourceful inhabitantsPhotograph: BethesdaFallout 4 is about establishing a new life in a world that’s been decimated by war, but that rewards resourceful inhabitantsKeith Stuart2015-07-28T07:00:03ZMy old gadgets are worth £114. How much is hidden in your junk drawer?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2015/jul/27/old-gadgets-worth-114-how-much-hidden-your-junk-drawers
Argos has become the first major British retailer to offer an on-the-spot trade-in service for old devices – so how much could one writer get for the old phones and tablets knocking around her house?<p>How many old mobile phones and tablets are languishing in your home? A quick inventory of my drawers, where gadgets go to die, reveals a stash bigger than <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2011/nov/15/las-vegas-city-guide-neon-museum">Las Vegas’s neon boneyard</a>.</p><p>There are five phones, a couple of them smart and stored inexplicably in their original boxes (a state of affairs that makes me look like a serious collector, but is really an example of senseless hoarding). There’s also an Asus tablet that looks, under closer inspection, to be an extremely small Etch A Sketch. It’s a shameful walk down technology lane, although it’s surprising how nostalgic you can get when confronted by your partner’s old <a href="http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_k850-2003.php">Sony Ericsson K850</a>. It also prompts some existential questioning, namely: why the hell am I still using a cracked, two-year-old Samsung Galaxy S3 when I could be posturing ironically with a <a href="http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_2730_classic-2800.php">Nokia 2730</a>?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2015/jul/27/old-gadgets-worth-114-how-much-hidden-your-junk-drawers">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyRecyclingEthical and green livingRetail industryMobile phonesConsumer affairsMobile phonesTablet computersMon, 27 Jul 2015 15:53:27 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2015/jul/27/old-gadgets-worth-114-how-much-hidden-your-junk-drawersPhotograph: John Stillwell/PAAll 788 Argos stores will offer the trade-in service.Photograph: John Stillwell/PAAll 788 Argos stores will offer the trade-in service.Chitra Ramaswamy2015-07-27T15:53:27Z'I'm sitting next to a weirdo on the bus' and other true meanings of emojihttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/emoji-true-meanings-explained
<p>What is the ‘speak-no-evil-monkey’ really saying? Are those hands praying or high-fiving? Emoji ambiguities explained </p><p>So there’s going to be a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/21/emoji-animated-film-sony">film based on emoji</a>. Of course there is, there’s a film based on everything these days. &macr;\_(ツ)_/&macr;. But the emoji film is going to have a tricky time getting the meanings of emoji right. It’s often the case that the symbols’ official <a href="http://unicode.org/consortium/consort.html">Unicode Consortium</a> titles do not relate to how we use them every day.</p><p>The truth is, emoji can mean a vast array of things. Here are some examples of the kinds of ways the following emoji could be used; not necessarily how their creators intended. We’ve mixed in emoji as they appear on both Apple and Android products. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/emoji-true-meanings-explained">Continue reading...</a>EmojiTechnologyInternetMobile phonesMon, 27 Jul 2015 11:53:39 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/emoji-true-meanings-explainedPhotograph: Hannah Jane Parkinson/Unicode ConsortiumEmojis, emojis everywhere...Hannah Jane Parkinson2015-07-27T11:53:39ZYoshi's Woolly World review – an alluring and delightful experiencehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/16/yoshis-woolly-world-review-handicraft-nintendo
<p>The handicraft look has been explored in many recent games, but Nintendo’s latest platformer exploits it in cute, interesting and compellin ways</p><p>From The Great British Bake Off to the vast number of crafting magazines bulging off the newsagent shelves, the handmade look is definitely in vogue. This trend has even been reflected in games, beginning perhaps with loveable platformer LittleBigPlanet, and most recently seen in the Xbox One title Unravelled. Here’s another example: Yoshi’s Woollen World, a follow-up of sorts to developer Good Feel’s Wii title, Kirby’s Epic Yarn.</p><p>In Woolly World, it’s not just about cute aesthetics: the handmade theme of the visuals adds to the tactility of the Yoshi universe. These games have always been very physical because of the character’s signature jump, not quite as famous as Mario’s, but more distinctive as he kicks his legs and audibly strains to reach higher platforms. Here, your cuddly dinosaur squishes the cushioned ground underfoot, jumps onto stitched platforms suspended between knitting needles and encounters enemy crabs with scissors for claws. Spools of thread hang on the walls, knotted seagulls fly past, and doors unzip and curl back to let you through. Even familiar world themes look more interesting in cloth: lava has a sequined sheen, its heat rays made of string, and winter hats stand in for mountains in the backdrop as Yoshi rolls a snowball made of cotton wool.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/16/yoshis-woolly-world-review-handicraft-nintendo">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyGame cultureCultureNintendoWii UThu, 16 Jul 2015 10:12:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/16/yoshis-woolly-world-review-handicraft-nintendoPhotograph: NintendoYoshi’s Woolly WorldPhotograph: NintendoYoshi’s Woolly WorldJordan Erica Webber2015-07-16T10:12:15ZRory McIlroy Golf review – deep in simulation but shallow in contenthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/14/rory-mcilroy-golf-review-simulation-ea-sports
<p>EA Sports has abandoned Tiger Woods in favour of a new star and the result includes richly detailed visuals, and feels like a fresh start for the series</p><p>For 24 years, the PGA Tour series has dominated the world of golfing simulations, its hegemony threatened only by the mostly PC-based Links series – and the more approachable Everybody’s Golf. Tiger Woods has been the cover star since 1998, but considering his wane in fortunes, it is understandable that he has been bundled into a golf cart and sent on his way. Now Rory McIlroy, who looks just as fiercely motivated and skilled as the young Tiger once did, will front a fresh chapter for the series. </p><p>At first, long-time fans will most likely find the absence of Woods jarring. It feels strange to begin the “Prologue” section of the game and find McIlroy staring back at you recanting his own experiences, rather than reliving some of Tiger’s many achievements. But the nostalgia fades as McIlroy, directly addressing the player, talks about how it feels to stand on the opening tee in the final round of a major championship. It is unusually candid, offering a lot more insight than most golfers ever would in a TV interview.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/14/rory-mcilroy-golf-review-simulation-ea-sports">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologySportGolfPlayStationPlayStation 4XboxXbox OneTue, 14 Jul 2015 15:29:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/14/rory-mcilroy-golf-review-simulation-ea-sportsPhotograph: Electronic ArtsRory McIlroy PGA Tour provides an in-depth swing mechanic but cuts back on other contentPhotograph: Electronic ArtsRory McIlroy PGA Tour provides an in-depth swing mechanic but cuts back on other contentGraham Searles2015-07-14T15:29:03ZAmazon Fire HD Kids Edition tablet - reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/amazon-fire-hd-kids-edition-tablet-review
<p>Decent performance for its low price, but the real draw is its eat-all-you-want catalogue of apps, games, ebooks and videos</p><p>When Apple launched its first iPad in 2010, the thought of handing a &pound;429 device over to a child seemed like crazy talk. Yet that’s exactly what happened with that and subsequent tablets.</p><p>Fast forward to May 2015, when the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom reported that <a href="http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/five-years-of-tablets/">71% of British 5-15 year-olds had access to a tablet at home</a>, including 34% who had their own one.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/amazon-fire-hd-kids-edition-tablet-review">Continue reading...</a>Children's techAmazon.comTablet computersTechnologyComputingOnline TVAppsEbooksInternetMon, 13 Jul 2015 06:00:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/amazon-fire-hd-kids-edition-tablet-reviewPhotograph: Uncredited/APAmazon’s Fire HD Kids Edition includes a subscription for apps, ebooks and videos.Photograph: Uncredited/APAmazon’s Fire HD Kids Edition includes a subscription for apps, ebooks and videos.Stuart Dredge2015-07-13T06:00:05ZLego Jurassic World review – enjoyable if predictable family funhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/02/lego-jurassic-world-review-enjoyable-predictable-family
<p>The Lego gaming series continues with another blockbuster licence and another child-friendly puzzle adventure</p><p>Every year the global strategy consultancy Brand Finance releases a list of the world’s most powerful brands. In 2014, Ferrari topped the chart, but this February, the Italian super car manufacturer was usurped by a toy. It was, of course, Lego. </p><p>This classic product, conceived over 60 years ago, has proved infinitely extendible in the modern era. The Lego Movie, a film based on the toy, was itself turned into a series of Lego playsets, while Minecraft, a game often referred to as digital Lego, is now available in plastic form. It’s a perfectly circular business. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/02/lego-jurassic-world-review-enjoyable-predictable-family">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyLegoCultureGame culturePCPlayStationPlayStation 4PS3PS VitaXboxXbox OneWii UThu, 02 Jul 2015 11:58:43 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/02/lego-jurassic-world-review-enjoyable-predictable-familyPhotograph: Warner BrosLego Jurassic World – a highly familiar Lego adventure which doesn’t innovate on the series, but provides solid family funPhotograph: Warner BrosLego Jurassic World – a highly familiar Lego adventure which doesn’t innovate on the series, but provides solid family funRobert Rattley2015-07-02T11:58:43ZBatman Arkham Knight review – a richly empowering comic book fantasyhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/batman-arkham-knight-review-comic-book-fantasy
<p>Rocksteady Studios proves its mastery of the Dark Knight with this third and apparently final gothic adventure</p><p><strong>Note: this is a review of the PlayStation 4 version of Arkham Knight. The PC version <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/pc-port-batman-arkham-knight-pulled-performance-issues">has been withdrawn</a> from sale by Warner Bros owing to technical issues. This review should not be considered a reflection of the PC version of the game.</strong></p><p>If Arkham Knight really is the end for developer Rocksteady Studios and the Dark Knight, at least the two are parting on a high. Not only has this development team polished its series game mechanics to near-perfection, it has also reached a perfect understanding of this grimy comic book world.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/batman-arkham-knight-review-comic-book-fantasy">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyPlayStationPlayStation 4XboxXbox OneBatmanCultureGame cultureThu, 25 Jun 2015 10:33:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/25/batman-arkham-knight-review-comic-book-fantasyPhotograph: Warner BrosBatman Arkham City, the third and final part of the Arkham trilogy from London-based studio Rocksteady, shows a mastery of the character and his worldPhotograph: Warner BrosBatman Arkham City, the third and final part of the Arkham trilogy from London-based studio Rocksteady, shows a mastery of the character and his worldSam White2015-06-25T10:33:37ZPayday 2 Crimewave Edition review – wildly violent, heartwarmingly co-operativehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/11/payday-2-crimewave-edition-review-ps4-xbox-one
<p>The refreshed PS4 and Xbox One version of this anarchic co-op shooter is worth staking out for those who missed it first time around<br></p><p>Two weeks ago, the delightful Splatoon arrived to daub the staid world of the first-person shooter with luminous joy paint. It promised a day-glo family-friendly revolution – and now here comes Payday 2 Crimewave Edition. </p><p>Not only does it look like every other gritty crime blaster out there, it’s also yet another repackaged release, originally launched on the last-gen consoles in 2013, and now given a fresh spray job for the current platforms. Despite all this, Crimewave Edition is still well worth your time. Because it is insane.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/11/payday-2-crimewave-edition-review-ps4-xbox-one">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyPlayStationPlayStation 4Xbox OneXboxCultureE3 2015Thu, 11 Jun 2015 11:08:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/11/payday-2-crimewave-edition-review-ps4-xbox-onePhotograph: 505 GamesPayday 2Photograph: 505 GamesPayday 2Ian Dransfield2015-06-11T11:08:07ZHatred review – empty, forgettable and blandhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/04/hatred-games-review-empty-forgettable-bland
<p>The controversial murder spree shooter is a monochrome menace to the legacy of glorious twin-stick shooters like Robotron</p><p>Hatred is a game that longs to be hated, but it’s difficult to work up the enthusiasm for a half-hearted eye-roll. </p><p>It’s been controversial but, honestly, most of the controversy has been about the feuding around the game rather than the game itself. Now that it’s here, it’s officially about as dangerous as the interactive movie Night Trap, which caused a similar fuss over nothing in the 1990s. We’re at a point in gaming history where we’ve seen everything from GTA to Carmageddon to Hooligans: Storm Over Europe to JFK Reloaded to three Postal games to Super Columbine Massacre RPG … so a potty-mouthed guy in a trenchcoat deciding to play Human Robotron isn’t so much shocking as endearingly quaint. No matter how hard it tries, how stabby it gets, playing it begs only one question: is this all you’ve got, you sulky bastard?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/04/hatred-games-review-empty-forgettable-bland">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyCultureGame culturePCControversyThu, 04 Jun 2015 09:18:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/04/hatred-games-review-empty-forgettable-blandPhotograph: public domainHatred – there is an angry guy with a gun somewhere in this imagePhotograph: public domainHatred – there is an angry guy with a gun somewhere in this imageRichard Cobbett2015-06-04T09:18:00ZAndroid Wear 5.1 review: simple, useful and the best – for nowhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/13/google-android-wear-5-1-watch-review-simple-useful-best-for-now
<p>Google’s latest version of Android Wear makes it easier to get to apps, improves notification handling and adds brilliant emoji features</p><p>Google’s smartwatch operating system, Android Wear, is on its third major revision, and this time it is a coherent and useful platform that does what a smartwatch does best – handle notifications – making it the best platform out there.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/13/google-android-wear-5-1-watch-review-simple-useful-best-for-now">Continue reading...</a>AndroidSmartwatchesSoftwareAppsGadgetsWearable technologyGoogleTechnologyWed, 13 May 2015 05:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/13/google-android-wear-5-1-watch-review-simple-useful-best-for-nowPhotograph: Samuel Gibbs for the GuardianGoogle’s third big update to its smartwatch operating system, Android Wear, has produced arguably the best notification handling of any wearable.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs for the GuardianGoogle’s third big update to its smartwatch operating system, Android Wear, has produced arguably the best notification handling of any wearable.Samuel Gibbs2015-05-13T05:00:02ZTennis just got smarter with the Babolat Play connected racket - reviewhttp://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/04/babolat-play-smart-racket-tennis
<p>Can a Rafael Nadal-endorsed, data-collecting tennis racket improve a wayward backhand?<br></p><p>The <a href="http://www.babolat.co.uk/product/tennis/generic/babolat-aeropro-drive-play-102231">Babolat AeroPro Drive Play</a> connected tennis racket comes with a sensor embedded in the handle plus matching app that syncs via Bluetooth, recording the minutiae of your playing performance. The truly fearless (or perhaps just the very best) players can share their stats with other users via the app.<strong> </strong>Yet although apparently endorsed by tennis god Rafael Nadal, his superhuman performance statistics are nowhere to be seen on the community page, which is a little disappointing.</p><p>For mere mortals, setting up the racket is uniquely frustrating in only the way that an unsuccessful Bluetooth syncing experience can be. I turn the racket on. I press sync on the app. Bluetooth is on. The racket says it is connected but won’t sync with the app. Rinse and repeat for about half an hour.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/04/babolat-play-smart-racket-tennis">Continue reading...</a>TennisSportAppsTechnologyMon, 04 May 2015 06:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/04/babolat-play-smart-racket-tennisPhotograph: Will Whipple for the ObserverJemima Kiss with her Babolat smart racket.Photograph: Will Whipple for the ObserverJemima Kiss with her Babolat smart racket.Photograph: Will Whipple/ObserverJemima Kiss with her Babolat smart racket.. Photograph: Will Whipple for the ObserverPhotograph: Will Whipple/ObserverJemima Kiss with her Babolat smart racket.. Photograph: Will Whipple for the ObserverJemima Kiss2015-05-04T06:00:06ZWine: the trouble with wine appshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/16/wine-apps-vivino-delectable-fiona-beckett
<p>TripAdvisor-style wine apps may seem to be the future, but are they really?<br></p><p>As if we don’t spend enough time faffing around on social media already, along come a couple of wine apps to lure us into recording and sharing every wine we taste. San Francisco-based <a href="http://delectable.com">Delectable</a> and <a href="http://www.vivino.com">Vivino</a> are designed instantly to identify a label and tell you what fellow wine geeks think about it – a sort of <a href="http://Adwww.tripadvisor.co.uk">TripAdvisor</a> for wine.</p><p>Both apps are pretty quick (they take seconds rather than minutes), but the problem is they often come up with the wrong answer. I tried them out at a recent Rh&ocirc;ne tasting, and Delectable misidentified two red ch&acirc;teauneufs as whites, while Vivino got the colour and vintage of a 2012 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage wrong, despite the latter being shown on the label. The apps don’t necessarily give you the best price, either – or not unless you pay a premium. Vivino, for example, which is more attuned to the UK market, gave a &pound;25 guide price for <a href="http://www.robersonwine.com/buy-wines/crozes-hermitage-2012-alain-graillot-75-01I12CGG/">a classy Graillot that Roberson has for &pound;20.95</a> and <a href="http://www.yapp.co.uk/Wine-List/Rhone-Wines/Crozes-Hermitage-Wines/Crozes-Hermitage--Alain-Graillot-2012/">Yapp</a> for &pound;21.50. Delectable has a better scoring system than Vivino, with a 40-point range, from a “not for me” 6.1 to a “love it” 10, though in practice most seem to score in the 9s.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/16/wine-apps-vivino-delectable-fiona-beckett">Continue reading...</a>WineFood & drinkLife and styleAppsTechnologyThu, 16 Apr 2015 16:59:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/16/wine-apps-vivino-delectable-fiona-beckettPhotograph: PhotoAlto/AlamyWIne apps... are they any good?Photograph: PhotoAlto/AlamyWIne apps... are they any good?Photograph: Katherine Anne Rose/Katherine Anne RosePhotograph: Katherine Anne Rose/Katherine Anne RoseFiona Beckett2015-04-16T16:59:01ZUpgrading from iPhoto or Aperture to Apple's Photos? Read thishttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/16/upgrading-from-iphoto-aperture-apples-photos-read-this
<p>New Photos app replaces company’s amateur and professional photo apps, but is it any good – and is it safe to upgrade?</p><p>Almost every new gadget has a camera these days, which means almost every moment can be captured for posterity. But the sheer number of photos we collect as we go about our lives is becoming a nightmare of organisation.<br /></p><p>To start with, how do you store photos? In virtual albums? One massive mess sorted by date? By people, or place? Or perhaps by camera?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/16/upgrading-from-iphoto-aperture-apples-photos-read-this">Continue reading...</a>ApplePhotographyComputingAppsTechnologySoftwareThu, 16 Apr 2015 09:08:24 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/16/upgrading-from-iphoto-aperture-apples-photos-read-thisPhotograph: AppleApple’s new Photos app replaces two photo management applications, iPhoto for amateurs and Aperture for pros, but is it safe to upgrade and should you?Photograph: AppleApple’s new Photos app replaces two photo management applications, iPhoto for amateurs and Aperture for pros, but is it safe to upgrade and should you?Samuel Gibbs2015-04-16T09:08:24ZPeriscope review: does Twitter's live-streaming service beat Meerkat?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/26/periscope-review-twitter-live-streaming-service-meerkat
<p>This video app might be late to the party, but its extra features makes it worth the wait</p><p>It’s fair to say that Periscope, Twitter’s live-streaming video app, is late to the game. Not just the three-weeks-and-counting between its launch and that of tech press darling Meerkat, but the two and a half years between it and YouNow, which has grown to 100m user sessions every month by offering performers a share of the revenue.<br /></p><p>So does Periscope have what it takes to seize the lead in an already crowded marketplace?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/26/periscope-review-twitter-live-streaming-service-meerkat">Continue reading...</a>Live streamingTwitterAppsTechnologySocial mediaSocial networkingMediaDigital mediaThu, 26 Mar 2015 11:28:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/26/periscope-review-twitter-live-streaming-service-meerkatPhotograph: Anthony Quintano/flickrRival app Meerkat gained traction at the SXSW festival in Texas in March. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/quintanomedia/16617251877/">Photograph: Anthony Quintano/flickr</a>Photograph: Anthony Quintano/flickrRival app Meerkat gained traction at the SXSW festival in Texas in March. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/quintanomedia/16617251877/">Photograph: Anthony Quintano/flickr</a>Alex Hern2015-03-26T11:28:12ZSnow White by Nosy Crow app: 'Getting children sparkly-eyed about storytelling'http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/13/snow-white-nosy-crow-app-review
<p>Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the App Store the famous fairytale goes, with the latest app from a children’s publisher that prioritises reading over digital gimmicks</p><p>I want my children to love stories. To love reading tales of all kinds, and to enjoy creating their own worlds and characters – or at least their own stories using the worlds and characters that they already love.</p><p>I’m not particularly biased one way or the other about where the inspiration for this comes from – and particularly whether it’s printed books or digital experiences. Or, more accurately, I think both can play a hugely important role as my two sons learn not just to read and write, but to <em>love</em> to read and write.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/13/snow-white-nosy-crow-app-review">Continue reading...</a>Children's techAppsiPhoneiPadBooksChildren and teenagersChildrenFairytalesAppleCultureSmartphonesTablet computersTechnologyFri, 13 Mar 2015 13:30:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/mar/13/snow-white-nosy-crow-app-reviewPhotograph: PRSnow White by Nosy Crow.Photograph: PRSnow White by Nosy Crow.Stuart Dredge2015-03-13T13:30:37ZZipJet, Zomato review – dry-cleaning and restaurant-booking appshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/19/zipjet-zomato-review-dry-cleaning-and-restaurant-booking-apps
Now dry-cleaning as well as restaurant booking can be done from your phone<p>With Uber – the taxi-ordering app – <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/05/uber-value-doubles-after-fundraising" title="">now valued at $40bn (&pound;25.5bn),</a> it is no surprise others are trying to take old-school, real-world services on to your mobile phone. <strong>ZipJet</strong> (iOS, Android, free) attempts to move the dry-cleaners into your pocket. Only in London at the moment, the interface is slick – finding your location automatically and scanning your credit card number with the iPhone’s camera, making it a breeze to order. Put in what it is you need to be cleaned, then choose a half-hour collection and delivery slot. The cost compares well with a service wash at a local launderette – &pound;12.50 for a bag of washing and &pound;10 for a two-piece suit – and it works fantastically, but while it is sure to be a big hit in New York, where communal facilities are the norm, it seems unlikely it will ever be more than a niche product in the UK. Equally, <strong>Zomato</strong> (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, free) is the latest restaurant finder, but what makes it stands out is the breadth of its service. Select to search for coffee-shops, a plethora of culinary genres, or even somewhere specialising in hot chocolate, and the app locates them on a map. From there you can browse the menu and book a table. Good for the tastebuds, if not so beneficial to the waistband.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/19/zipjet-zomato-review-dry-cleaning-and-restaurant-booking-apps">Continue reading...</a>AppsTechnologyCultureRestaurantsMon, 19 Jan 2015 07:00:23 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/19/zipjet-zomato-review-dry-cleaning-and-restaurant-booking-appsPhotograph: PRDirty laundry needn't be a nuisance with the ZipJet app, which aims to take the stress out of dry-cleaning.Photograph: PRDirty laundry needn't be a nuisance with the ZipJet app, which aims to take the stress out of dry-cleaning.Toby Moses2015-01-19T07:00:23ZAuxy review – the latest app aiming for a hit from iPad music-makinghttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/30/auxy-app-ipad-music-making
<p>Now anyone can sound like Kraftwerk falling down a flight of stairs, but that’s not something that should worry musicians</p><p>Right now, my workroom sounds like Kraftwerk falling down a flight of stairs, albeit only after their roadies had de-tuned a couple of their keyboards first. And it’s all the fault of a new tablet app called Auxy.</p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/id909573739?mt=8">Released for iPad</a> today, it’s the work of a Swedish startup of the same name, which is aiming to give “spreadsheet music making” the boot. By which it means over-complex music creation tools that are about as fun to work with as an Excel doc.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/30/auxy-app-ipad-music-making">Continue reading...</a>AppsiPadAppleMusicTechnologyElectronic musicTablet computersCultureThu, 30 Oct 2014 11:11:48 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/30/auxy-app-ipad-music-makingPhotograph: PRAuxy is the latest tablet music-making app.Photograph: PRAuxy is the latest tablet music-making app.Stuart Dredge2014-10-30T11:11:48ZLatest iOS 8 apps round-up review: Swiftkey; Halftone 2http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/19/latest-io8-apps-round-up-review-swiftkey-halftone-2
The rollout of iOS 8 allows third-party software to integrate with built-in apps, which is a big improvement<p>Much of the hype about any Apple launch is bound to surround the new hardware, and the introduction of iPhone 6 and giant-size 6 Plus was no different. However, it’s the rollout of iOS 8 that will affect most people. There’s no great revolution with this free update, but the way it allows third-party software to integrate with the built-in apps is a big improvement. <a href="http://swiftkey.com/en/" title=""><strong>Swiftkey</strong></a> (iOS, free)has long been an Android favourite, but now arrives on Apple devices, allowing typing in multiple languages as it learns your style – and most importantly allows swipe-typing – so that you need never lift your finger from the screen.</p><p>The improvement to the camera is noticeable especially in the Plus, and Apple has done a good job of improving on-the-fly editing, but the integration of apps such as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/litely/id850707754?mt=8" title=""><strong>Litely</strong></a> (iOS, free), which provides subtle and effective photo editing, is welcome. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/halftone-2-comic-book-creator/id603139024?mt=8" title=""><strong>Halftone 2</strong></a> (Juicy Bits, iOS, &pound;1.49) allows you to turn photos into comic books with ease.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/19/latest-io8-apps-round-up-review-swiftkey-halftone-2">Continue reading...</a>AppsAppleTechnologyMobile phonesTelecomsCultureComputingSun, 19 Oct 2014 06:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/19/latest-io8-apps-round-up-review-swiftkey-halftone-2Photograph: PRYAHOO WEATHER app 4.tiffToby Moses2014-10-19T06:00:06ZPatched from the dead: the classic games we'd like to see fixedhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/24/classic-games-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-patch
<p>As classic Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic II is patched for the first time a decade, what other games should be fixed for the modern era?</p><p>Released in 2005, Obsidian’s Knights of the Old Republic II is still hailed by many fans as one of the greatest Star Wars games ever made – so perhaps it’s appropriate that, like the greatest Jedi Masters, it has been given life after death.</p><p>The PC version of the game, originally released in a notoriously buggy, unfinished state, has just received its first official update in over 10 years. And it’s huge.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/24/classic-games-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-patch">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyStar WarsCultureGame culturePCFri, 24 Jul 2015 12:24:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/24/classic-games-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-patchPhotograph: BiowareA Wookie wonders if the patch will ever come.Photograph: BiowareA Wookie wonders if the patch will ever come.Alex Hern2015-07-24T12:24:11ZHer Story has no guns or finish line, just a search for meaning in an uncertain worldhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/14/her-story-murder-games-naomi-alderman
<p>A murder mystery with a difference, Sam Barlow’s new game is as much about who’s playing it as it is whodunnit</p><p>There’s a mechanism for finding out about the world that we’ve all become experts in, perhaps without realising it. Maybe we learned at school how to use libraries, maybe our parents or the Girl Guides taught us how to listen for birdsong. But no one ever taught us how to Google – yet we’re all so good at it. We decide precisely which words to type to get the information we need. Defining search terms is how we touch the world.</p><p>“Defining search terms” is the mechanism used to fascinating effect by the excellent game <a href="http://www.herstorygame.com/" title=""><em>Her Story</em></a>, released this month for PC, Mac and iOS. The setup is simple. For reasons that become (somewhat) clear, you’re sitting at a mid-1990s computer with a database of police interviews to search through. The interviews are all with the same woman – played by Viva Seifert. Someone’s already typed the first term in for you and there are five results. The search term is “MURDER”. Her husband’s been murdered, and if you search long enough, and watch enough of the clips, you’ll learn who murdered him, and how, and why, and what hall-of-mirrors events led to the killing.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/14/her-story-murder-games-naomi-alderman">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyGamesTue, 14 Jul 2015 06:30:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/14/her-story-murder-games-naomi-aldermanPhotograph: PRIn Her Story the player must view a series of taped police interviews, above, to solve a possible murder.Photograph: PRIn Her Story the player must view a series of taped police interviews, above, to solve a possible murder.Photograph: PRIn Her Story the player must view a series of taped police interviews, above, to solve a possible murder.Photograph: PRIn Her Story the player must view a series of taped police interviews, above, to solve a possible murder.Naomi Alderman2015-07-14T06:30:07Z20 best new Android apps and games this weekhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/best-android-apps-games-shakespeare-alphabear
<p>RE: Shakespeare, Crayola DJ, Halo Channel, Hooks, Alphabear, Fearless Fantasy, Democracy vs Freedom, Atomas and more</p><p>Welcome to this week’s roundup of the latest, greatest <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/android">Android</a> apps and games, covering smartphones and tablets.</p><p>All these apps have been released for the first time – ie not updates – since the last roundup. All prices are correct at the time of writing, with “IAP” indicating use of in-app purchases.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/best-android-apps-games-shakespeare-alphabear">Continue reading...</a>AndroidAppsGamesGoogleTechnologyCultureMobile phonesSoftwareSmartphonesTablet computersWilliam ShakespeareHaloWalt Disney CompanyMon, 13 Jul 2015 10:35:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/best-android-apps-games-shakespeare-alphabearPhotograph: PRRE: Shakespeare app for Android.Photograph: PRRE: Shakespeare app for Android.Stuart Dredge2015-07-13T10:35:11ZNo Man’s Sky: the game where you can explore 18 quintillion planetshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/no-mans-sky-18-quintillion-planets-hello-games
<p>It’s a game where you’re unlikely to meet other players, no one will win and it will take over four billion years to explore it all. And that’s why it’s the most anticipated title for decades. </p><p>Sean Murray is sweating in an Uber cab as it lurches to the staccato rhythm of Los Angeles traffic. The 34-year-old video game programmer is anxious. His meeting at SpaceX with Elon Musk, the American business magnate who hopes to put a human on Mars within the next two decades, overran and Murray and two of his colleagues are perilously late for their next appointment. It is, if not the most important meeting of his life, then almost certainly the most notable (and this in a week of notable meetings; before Musk, Murray met the rapper Kanye West). In five minutes Murray and his colleague, David Ream, are due to show <a href="http://www.no-mans-sky.com"><em>No Man’s Sky</em></a>, the video game he and a dozen or so friends are creating half a world away in Guildford, to the film director Steven Spielberg.</p><p>Like Murray, Spielberg is in town for <a href="https://www.e3expo.com">E3</a>, the video game industry’s largest annual gathering, held in boiling LA each June, where publishers show off their forthcoming titles to baying crowds of fans. The cab pulls up at the Los Angeles Convention Centre, where the event takes place over three days. The building is draped in advertising for next year’s blockbuster titles. Murray exits the car with a slam and begins to weave through the crowd, clustered around screens and fingerprint-smeared controllers. He arrives at one of Sony’s cool private meeting rooms, just as Spielberg and his entourage arrive. Inside, Murray, with an apologetic press of a button, loads up the universe.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/no-mans-sky-18-quintillion-planets-hello-games">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyGamesCultureMinecraftVirtual worldsPlayStationSonyPlayStation 4PCSun, 12 Jul 2015 08:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/12/no-mans-sky-18-quintillion-planets-hello-gamesPhotograph: Hello GamesPhotograph: Hello GamesSimon Parkin2015-07-12T08:00:04ZAfter the prototype PlayStation: six more obscure games consoleshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/07/prototype-nintendo-playstation-obscure-games-consoles-snes-cd
<p>A late-1980s SNES-CD console ditched by Sony and Nintendo was discovered last month. Here are six other elusive games machines for look out for …</p><p>For gamers, it was like discovering the Ark of the Covenant – but made of plastic and less likely to contain the power of God. In early July, one Dan Diebold posted a YouTube video showing an apparently functional prototype of the SNES CD, an aborted update of the famed Super Nintendo Entertainment System built in partnership between Nintendo and Sony. </p><p>Developed in the late 1980s, the machine was intended to run games on both cartridges and CD-rom discs, but then Nintendo and Sony fell out and things went wrong. Sony proudly showed off its console – now called the Play Station – at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, but Nintendo switched its allegiance to Philips a day later. Enraged, Sony decided to release a new PlayStation console on its own, and many of the SNES-CD prototype units were destroyed. Which is why this new footage has caused much excitement in the gaming community. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/07/prototype-nintendo-playstation-obscure-games-consoles-snes-cd">Continue reading...</a>GamesTechnologyRetro gamesCultureGame cultureNintendoSonyGames consolesTue, 07 Jul 2015 09:19:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/07/prototype-nintendo-playstation-obscure-games-consoles-snes-cdPhotograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty ImagesThe SNES-CD is certainly not the only rare console lurking in the shadows of games hardware history.Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty ImagesThe SNES-CD is certainly not the only rare console lurking in the shadows of games hardware history.Keith Stuart2015-07-07T09:19:02Z20 best new Android apps and games this weekhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/best-new-android-apps-games-vessel-geometry-wars-3
<p>Vessel, Medium, CloudPlayer by DoubleTwist, BitTorrent Shoot, Geometry Wars 3, Vainglory, Lego Minifigures Online and more</p><p>Welcome to this week’s roundup of the latest, greatest <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/android">Android</a> apps and games, covering smartphones and tablets.</p><p>All these apps have been released for the first time – ie not updates – since the last roundup. All prices are correct at the time of writing, with “IAP” indicating use of in-app purchases.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/best-new-android-apps-games-vessel-geometry-wars-3">Continue reading...</a>AndroidSmartphonesTablet computersAppsDigital mediaGamesMediaGoogleTechnologyMon, 06 Jul 2015 11:07:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/06/best-new-android-apps-games-vessel-geometry-wars-3Photograph: PRAndroid’s latest apps include Vessel, Medium and Geometry Wars 3.Photograph: PRAndroid’s latest apps include Vessel, Medium and Geometry Wars 3.Stuart Dredge2015-07-06T11:07:20ZThe 11 PlayStation games you absolutely cannot miss in the coming yearhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/sonys-playstation-games-cannot-miss-call-duty-black-ops
<p>From Last Guardian, Uncharted 4 and Dreams to Destiny, Project Morpheus and Call of Duty Black Ops III, here’s everything you need to know</p><p>Sony showed off a large collection of new games, gave new details on exclusive elements in some big games, and announced that its Project Morpheus virtual reality headset would be available next year.<br /></p><p>Beyond the Final Fantasy VII remake, and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/shenmue-3-kickstarter-crowdfunding-hits-target">Shenmue III Kickstarter campaign</a>, here are the 12 things you need to know about Sony’s PlayStation lineup for the next year.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/sonys-playstation-games-cannot-miss-call-duty-black-ops">Continue reading...</a>SonyPlayStationPlayStation 4GamesTechnologyCultureVirtual realityVirtual worldsCall of DutyE3E3 2015Tue, 16 Jun 2015 12:00:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/sonys-playstation-games-cannot-miss-call-duty-black-opsPhotograph: SonySony’s E3 press conference unveiled a strong line up of games for the next year including the Last Guardian, which has been five years in the waiting.Photograph: SonySony’s E3 press conference unveiled a strong line up of games for the next year including the Last Guardian, which has been five years in the waiting.Samuel Gibbs2015-06-16T12:00:42ZNintendo legends Donkey Kong and Bowser to feature in Skylandershttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/donkey-kong-bowser-skylanders-amiibos
<p>Publishers collaborate to add classic Super Mario figures that will work with games by both of them<br></p><p>Donkey Kong wields a barrel that he lobs at enemies, Bowser spawns koopas to create his own mini army – it sounds like classic Nintendo gameplay, but this new outing for the much-loved characters is very different. </p><p>In a deal announced today, the duo are to appear as collectible figures in Skylanders Superchargers, the latest title in Activision’s “toys to life” franchise. Arriving with their own vehicles, the new Skylanders will also function as Amiibos, making them compatible with a range of Nintendo’s own Wii U titles. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/donkey-kong-bowser-skylanders-amiibos">Continue reading...</a>E3E3 2015GamesTechnologyNintendoActivision BlizzardPlayStationPlayStation 4XboxXbox OneWii UCultureTue, 16 Jun 2015 16:30:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/donkey-kong-bowser-skylanders-amiibosPhotograph: PRBowser and Donkey Kong will be available exclusively as a starter pack for the Wii U, Wii and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game.Photograph: PRBowser and Donkey Kong will be available exclusively as a starter pack for the Wii U, Wii and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game.Keith Stuart2015-06-16T16:30:10ZWindows 10: what it means for PC and Xbox One gamershttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-pc-xbox-one-gamers
<p>Microsoft has launched its latest operating system, promising to shake up the whole gaming ecosystem. But will it?</p><p>After several months of hype and expectation, Windows 10 has finally launched, bringing a(nother) new operating system era to computers everywhere. Under the tagline “it’s the Windows you know, only better” Microsoft is promising a range of exciting features, from the return of the Start menu to the arrival of Cortana, a cross-platform digital assistant that promises to be sort of like Paperclip guy but actually useful.</p><p>Forget all that, though, because the real question is: what will Windows 10 mean for games and gamers? Here are the key features and how they’ll affect PC and Xbox One owners.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-pc-xbox-one-gamers">Continue reading...</a>GamesWindows 10TechnologyMicrosoftPCXboxXbox OneComputingWindowsWed, 29 Jul 2015 07:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-pc-xbox-one-gamersPhotograph: MICHAEL NELSON/EPAMicrosoft is hoping to align Xbox One more closely with PC, allowing easier video sharing, socialising and multiplayer gaming between the twoPhotograph: MICHAEL NELSON/EPAMicrosoft is hoping to align Xbox One more closely with PC, allowing easier video sharing, socialising and multiplayer gaming between the twoKeith Stuart2015-07-29T07:00:04ZSteam account hijacking 'bug' fixed by Valvehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/steam-account-hijacking-bug-fixed-valve
<p>Requesting password recovery email allowed attacker to gain access to gaming accounts without needing password or access to email account</p><p>PC gaming platform Steam has fixed a bug that allowed anyone to steal a user account by being armed with nothing more than the account’s username.</p><p>The bug affected Steam’s password recovery process for four days, from 21–25 July, and was excruciatingly simple: an attacker could try to log-in to someone else’s Steam account, and ask for a password recovery email to be sent out.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/steam-account-hijacking-bug-fixed-valve">Continue reading...</a>Data and computer securityHackingSteamGamesPCTechnologyCultureMon, 27 Jul 2015 13:53:26 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/steam-account-hijacking-bug-fixed-valvePhotograph: AlamyAttackers could steal a Steam account without needing the password.Photograph: AlamyAttackers could steal a Steam account without needing the password.Alex Hern2015-07-27T13:53:26ZGodzilla; Rory McIlroy PGA Tour; Deception IVhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/games-reviews-godzilla-rory-mcilroy-pga-deception-iv
<p>Another Godzilla game fails to cut it and the latest PGA title is solid, but Deception IV showcases the joys of sadism</p><p>Godzilla’s genre-defining impact on cinema is undeniable. Sadly, the same can’t be said for his interactive appearances – he’s rarely done well in gaming form, a tradition that continues here. <em>Godzilla: The Game</em> certainly makes an effort. A single-player God of Destruction campaign is bolstered with the King of Kaiju mode (clobber six beasts in a row), online battles and a monster-customising evolution mode. Unfortunately, core gameplay is so dreadful you’ll not want to explore much.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/games-reviews-godzilla-rory-mcilroy-pga-deception-iv">Continue reading...</a>GamesSports gamesPuzzle gamesStrategy gamesRole playing gamesXbox OnePlayStation 4PS VitaPS3TechnologyCultureMon, 27 Jul 2015 06:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/games-reviews-godzilla-rory-mcilroy-pga-deception-ivPhotograph: PRGodzilla - The Game: ‘core gameplay is dreadful’.Photograph: PRGodzilla - The Game: ‘core gameplay is dreadful’.Matt Kamen and Andy Robertson2015-07-27T06:00:06ZThis week’s new games: reviewedhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/25/games-reviewed-godzilla-trials-fusion-door-kickers
Godzilla | Trials Fusion: Awesome Level Max | Door Kickers<p>There are few things as satisfying as blowing stuff up in video games, which is why playing as Godzilla, Japan’s favourite city-razing monster, is instantly appealing. Lumbering about, laying waste to office blocks and swatting helicopters should be about as much fun as it’s possible to have. Unfortunately, Godzilla the game is a work of staggering incompetence that turns even the straightforward process of controlling your huge monster into a joy-sapping toil. Staggering at a glacial pace between stultifying encounters with large buildings and power plants, you’re constantly assailed by tanks, helicopters and bombers, none of which do enough damage to make them a real concern. More of a threat are fellow giant monsters, with fan favourites such as Mothra and Mechagodzilla putting in appearances. But these battles are also hampered by poor controls and texture-free graphics. Its poor translation, phoned-in voice acting and low-budget looks may be true to the franchise, but don’t make for an involving game. Releases this appalling were once commonplace, but these days it’s rare to find anything quite so brazen.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/25/games-reviewed-godzilla-trials-fusion-door-kickers">Continue reading...</a>GamesCultureTechnologySat, 25 Jul 2015 08:00:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/25/games-reviewed-godzilla-trials-fusion-door-kickersPhotograph: PRGodzilla, looking pretty terrible.Photograph: PRGodzilla, looking pretty terrible.Nick Gillett2015-07-25T08:00:03ZOur charity's gaming-style video helps show conflict through a child's eyehttp://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/jul/24/-charity-gaming-style-video-helps-show-conflict-through-childs-eye
<p>Instead of shock tactics War Child aims to reflect the reality of what children in war zones witness and experience as part of their daily lives</p><p>The reality of what children face in conflict emergencies is stark, shocking and unacceptable. And, when campaigning about this issue, you have a choice: relay the facts or convey a story. </p><p>While the first option is educational, the second is motivational. And, if it is to have an impact, an advocacy campaign has to do the latter. For us at War Child, it is about promoting children’s voices that are neglected.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/jul/24/-charity-gaming-style-video-helps-show-conflict-through-childs-eye">Continue reading...</a>Voluntary Sector NetworkCommunicationsVoluntary sector network blogCharitiesVoluntary sectorSocietyGame cultureGamesFri, 24 Jul 2015 14:29:30 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/jul/24/-charity-gaming-style-video-helps-show-conflict-through-childs-eyePhotograph: War ChildPhotograph: War ChildKate Adams2015-07-24T14:29:30ZFrance and the UK are on the edge of Kafkaesque surveillancehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/surveillance-law-france-uk-kafka
<p>Surveillance laws being debated around the world should avoid the recent fate of the French – and the scorn of Franz Kafka</p><p><a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n14/franz-kafka/short-cuts">The problem of our laws</a>, wrote Kafka, is that they can involve arbitrary, secretive acts on the part of elites. The law, on this view, has “brought only slight, more or less accidental benefits, and done a great deal of serious harm, since it has given the people a false sense of security towards coming events, and left them helplessly exposed”. </p><p>“We live”, Kafka concluded, “on the razor’s edge”. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/surveillance-law-france-uk-kafka">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyData protectionFranceEuropeSurveillanceLawFranz KafkaTue, 28 Jul 2015 10:19:53 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/28/surveillance-law-france-uk-kafkaPhotograph: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty ImagesTelecom network cables in Paris. The enactment of the ‘Big Brother’ surveillance law threatens France’s long-cherished secrecy of communications.Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty ImagesTelecom network cables in Paris. The enactment of the ‘Big Brother’ surveillance law threatens France’s long-cherished secrecy of communications.Julia Powles2015-07-28T10:19:53ZWelcome to 2015, where tech can make everything terrifyinghttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/22/welcome-to-2015-where-tech-can-make-everything-terrifying
<p>Next time your computer crashes, remember: at least it’s not your car. For now</p><p><strong>On Monday</strong>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/20/ashley-madison-hacked-cheating-site-total-shutdown">thousands of people were outed</a> as members of a dating site catering to unfaithful spouses after the theft of a database containing personal details of millions of user accounts. Other panicked users of Ashley Madison have already started to pre-emptively admit to loved-ones that they were members in an effort to stave off relationship destruction if the full database is ever released.</p><p><strong>On Tuesday</strong>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/jeep-owners-urged-update-car-software-hackers-remote-control">hundreds of thousands of people</a> were told to update the software on their cars after two security researchers wirelessly took control of a Jeep, cutting the brakes or turning off the engine all with the click of a button. Fortunately, so far the damage has been limited to one terrified Wired reporter mashing an unresponsive break pedal in an unsuccessful attempt to stop his car rolling slowly into a ditch. The researchers are yet to reveal the technical details of the hack, but plan to in three weeks.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/22/welcome-to-2015-where-tech-can-make-everything-terrifying">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyHackingInternet of thingsInternetAshley MadisonAppleComputingWed, 22 Jul 2015 15:19:27 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/22/welcome-to-2015-where-tech-can-make-everything-terrifyingPhotograph: Luis M. Alvarez/APTwo Jeep Grand Cherokee models during a hearing at the Transportation Department in Washington to determine whether automaker Fiat Chrysler has failed to remedy safety defects.Photograph: Luis M. Alvarez/APTwo Jeep Grand Cherokee models during a hearing at the Transportation Department in Washington to determine whether automaker Fiat Chrysler has failed to remedy safety defects.Alex Hern2015-07-22T15:19:27ZA networked future? Let’s try joined-up thinking firsthttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/26/jeep-networked-future-requires-joined-up-thinking
As attacks on car computer systems show, a world connected to the internet is full of new security threats<p>‘‘Jeep Cherokee hacked in demo; Chrysler owners urged to download patch”, was the heading on <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/07/21/jeep-cherokee-hacked-in-demo-chrysler-owners-urged-to-download-patch/">an interesting story</a> last week. “Just imagine,” burbled the report, “one moment you’re listening to some pleasant pop hits on the radio, and the next moment the hip-hop station is blasting at full volume – and you can’t change it back! This is just one of the exploits of Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek … when they hacked into a Jeep Cherokee. They were able to change the temperature of the air conditioning, turn on the windshield wipers and blast the wiper fluid to blur the glass, and even disable the brakes, turn off the transmission, take control of the steering, and display their faces onto the dashboard’s screen.”</p><p>In some ways, this was an old story: cars have been largely governed by electronics since the 1980s, and anyone who controls the electronics controls the car. But up to now, the electronics have not been connected to the internet. What makes the Jeep Cherokee story interesting is that <em>its</em> electronics were hacked via the internet. And that was possible because internet connectivity now comes as a consumer option – <a href="http://www.driveuconnect.com/system/chrysler/">Uconnect</a> – from Chrysler.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/26/jeep-networked-future-requires-joined-up-thinking">Continue reading...</a>HackingInternetTechnologyAutomotive industryBusinessSun, 26 Jul 2015 08:45:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/26/jeep-networked-future-requires-joined-up-thinkingPhotograph: Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesA Jeep production line. Manufacturers’ efforts to put electronic systems inside their vehicles seem to have made them ever more vulnerable to attack. Photograph: Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesA Jeep production line. Manufacturers’ efforts to put electronic systems inside their vehicles seem to have made them ever more vulnerable to attack. Photograph: Bill Pugliano/Getty ImagesJohn Naughton2015-07-26T08:45:03ZThe data-driven economy will help marketers exploit ushttp://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/jul/23/data-driven-economy-marketing
<p>The internet of things will improve marketers’ understanding of consumers, enabling them to better advertise products we don’t need</p><p>The mathematical basis of rational behaviour was described in the 17th century by Blaise Pascal, but implications for philosophical thinking and rationality were laid out in the late 18th century by the “French Newton”, Pierre-Simon Laplace.</p><p>Laplace applied probability to the social and scientific questions of his day, explaining its principles in <a draggable="true" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophical-Essay-Probabilities-Dover-Mathematics/dp/0486288757">A Philosophical Essay on Probabilities</a>. He envisaged a social utopia based on rational behaviour. He associated the term evil with the idea of a “false expectation”, one that isn’t borne out by the underlying probabilities.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/jul/23/data-driven-economy-marketing">Continue reading...</a>Media & Tech NetworkInternet of thingsTechnologyMarketing & PRMediaThu, 23 Jul 2015 10:52:22 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/jul/23/data-driven-economy-marketingPhotograph: Katherine Anne RoseSmart watches and wearables are just one way the internet of things will glean more data about the way we live.Photograph: Katherine Anne RoseSmart watches and wearables are just one way the internet of things will glean more data about the way we live.Neil Lawrence2015-07-23T10:52:22ZCan a #BlackLivesMatter Twitter bot support activism and silence trolls? | Jess Zimmermanhttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/22/blacklivesmatter-twitter-bot-activism-trolls
<p>Twitter nags can drain so much of an activist’s time and energy that she has little left for work that moves her cause forward</p><p>Right now, <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/StayWokeBot?p=s">@StayWokeBot</a> generates doggerel, little poems comparing Twitter users to significant black leaders. But developers Courtney Stanton and Darius Kazemi (who, full disclosure, I know personally) have <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/07/17/twitter-bot-police-brutality-protesters">big ambitions</a> for the little bot, which they created for the #BlackLivesMatter activist group We the Protestors to use. Eventually, it could become one of the organization’s most invaluable digital tools.</p><p>Most Twitter bots don’t exist to do a job. They serve purposes, for sure – they are funny or beautiful or thought-provoking, they <a href="https://twitter.com/twoheadlines">recontextualize the news</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/mothgenerator">invent moths</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/all_in_cards">make card games</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/sortingbot">put you in a Hogwarts house</a>. They <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/05/internet-humans-more-bots-social-media">make Twitter better</a>, or at least more tolerable. But they exist in the realm of art: they create a niche, then fill it. They don’t take over work that a person would otherwise have to do.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/22/blacklivesmatter-twitter-bot-activism-trolls">Continue reading...</a>TwitterTechnologyInternetRace issuesWed, 22 Jul 2015 14:15:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/22/blacklivesmatter-twitter-bot-activism-trollsPhotograph: Feature China / Barcroft Media/Feature China / Barcroft MediaToday, Twitter doggerel. Tomorrow, the world?Jess Zimmerman2015-07-22T14:15:12ZWhat Windows 10 needs to get right to avoid another Vista momenthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/what-windows-10-needs-to-get-right
<p>Microsoft’s biggest launch in the last few years must go right, or the company might end up with users stuck on Windows 7 forever</p><p>Windows 10 might be Microsoft’s final version of its 29-year-old operating system, but there are quite a few things it must get right for it to be the next XP – and not the next Vista.<br /></p><p>The first thing it has to do is convince users that it isn’t Windows 8. For most, Windows 7 had erased the bad memories of Windows Vista, which launched with bugs galore and made for very painful upgrades.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/what-windows-10-needs-to-get-right">Continue reading...</a>Windows 10WindowsMicrosoftSoftwareTechnologyComputingWed, 29 Jul 2015 09:33:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/what-windows-10-needs-to-get-rightPhotograph: Stan Honda/AFPA group of performers unfurl the Microsoft logo as part of the Windows Vista launch in January 2007. The operating system came with bugs galore.Photograph: Stan Honda/AFPA group of performers unfurl the Microsoft logo as part of the Windows Vista launch in January 2007. The operating system came with bugs galore.Samuel Gibbs2015-07-29T09:33:41ZTo my brother I leave my Facebook account ... and any chance of dignity in death | Stuart Heritagehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2015/jul/28/to-my-brother-leave-facebook-account-chance-dignified-afterlife-stuart-heritage
<p>Users of the social network can now nominate a ‘legacy contact’ to manage their digital presence after they die – but how on earth do you decide who to pick?</p><p>As a man in my mid-30s in the year 2015, I spend the bulk of my life diligently and repeatedly carrying out one simple task – ignoring the prospect of my inevitable death. It’s quite easy, partly because I don’t appear to be imminently approaching my demise, but mainly because I’ve successfully barricaded myself inside an impenetrable fort of shiny distractions.</p><p>If I notice a story about a freak accident that resulted in a tragic loss of life, I bury my head in Netflix for a bit. When I realise that I’m incrementally growing closer to the average age of people mentioned in obituaries, I stab a bunch of&nbsp;strangers on Assassin’s Creed until the tightness in my chest goes away. And if I’m struck by a sudden awareness that the human body is a fragile, error-strewn thing, and that I could easily be taken out by a plane or a car or a virus or an exploding oven or the accidental consumption of raw camel’s milk without so much as a second’s notice? Well, I hammer out a load of unfunny fart&nbsp;jokes on Twitter. There, there. Everything’s OK. Everything’s OK.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2015/jul/28/to-my-brother-leave-facebook-account-chance-dignified-afterlife-stuart-heritage">Continue reading...</a>FacebookSocial mediaDeath and dyingTechnologyDigital mediaSocial networkingLife and styleTue, 28 Jul 2015 15:48:21 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2015/jul/28/to-my-brother-leave-facebook-account-chance-dignified-afterlife-stuart-heritagePhotograph: Alamy‘Facebook isn’t the place to go to learn that you’re going to die. It’s the place to go to wish you were already dead ...’Photograph: Alamy‘Facebook isn’t the place to go to learn that you’re going to die. It’s the place to go to wish you were already dead ...’Stuart Heritage2015-07-28T15:48:21ZSexting, amorous neighbours and the danger of the nude selfiehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/sexting-holiday-danger-nude-selfie-porn-instagram
<p>A holiday thrusts the issue of sexting into my mind – but autocorrect and Instagram filters dampen the passion</p><p>Thrust, thrust, thrust. Bang, bang, bang. I’ve been listening to this for the past four evenings. Two people sweating and panting in the room above, in a hotel too close to a busy road, which serves spaghetti that is cold as it hits the plate. </p><p> I’m sharing a twin room with my mother – hoping to God she isn’t hearing this too. But I know she is, because in the darkness the shape of the room changes when she sits up in bed. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/sexting-holiday-danger-nude-selfie-porn-instagram">Continue reading...</a>Mobile phonesTechnologySexWhatsAppLife and styleSocial mediaSocial networkingRelationshipsSnapchatInstagramMon, 27 Jul 2015 09:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/sexting-holiday-danger-nude-selfie-porn-instagramPhotograph: On The Rocks / Stockimo/AlamySexting: a healthy aspect of a modern relationship, or an accident waiting to happen?Photograph: On The Rocks / Stockimo/AlamySexting: a healthy aspect of a modern relationship, or an accident waiting to happen?Hannah Jane Parkinson2015-07-27T09:00:01ZForget the Ashley Madison or Sony hacks – a crippling cyberattack is imminent in the UShttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/26/cybercrime-hacking-internet-of-things-target
Instead of mobilising a national defence against cyberattacks, we want a toaster that communicates with the washing machine over the internet<p>Computer experts have long warned about a catastrophic cyber-attack in the US, a sort of Web 3.0 version of 9/11 that would wreak enormous damage throughout the country. Like most Americans, I shrugged. With all of the enormous resources the country enjoys, those warnings seemed like the rantings of a digital Chicken Little.</p><p>Oddly enough, the revelations of the National Security Agency whistleblower <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/edward-snowden" title="">Edward Snowden</a> gave me some false comfort. If the powerful NSA was so good at hacking its own citizens, then surely the agency could prevent criminals, terrorists and foreign enemies from doing the same?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/26/cybercrime-hacking-internet-of-things-target">Continue reading...</a>CybercrimeHackingSat, 25 Jul 2015 23:04:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/26/cybercrime-hacking-internet-of-things-targetPhotograph: /WiredThe Jeep that was subjected to a hack by researchers, who took control of most of the vehicle’s systems via its advanced internet-connected entertainment system. WiredPhotograph: /WiredThe Jeep that was subjected to a hack by researchers, who took control of most of the vehicle’s systems via its advanced internet-connected entertainment system. WiredThomas Lee2015-07-25T23:04:05ZCarter Reynolds' Twitter spat is a poor advert for social mediahttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/carter-reynolds-maggie-lidemann-twitter-spat-is-a-poor-advert-for-social-media
<p>A banal spat between two teenagers tells a sorry tale of oversharing, the currency of teenage sexuality, and the vulnerability of growing up in public</p><p>I’m always quick to defend the internet against charges of toxicity. It is home to so much that’s positive, but there’s no doubting it can be a despairing space. Ellen Pao, former chief executive of Reddit, wrote earlier this week in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-cannot-let-the-internet-trolls-win/2015/07/16/91b1a2d2-2b17-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html">the Washington Post</a> that “the trolls are winning”.</p><p>There’s online misogyny, cyberbullying, hacking, and God knows how many irritating mailshots from political parties. And there’s no better marker of how unfun the internet can be than the ongoing Twitter conversation between Vine star <a href="https://vine.co/Mr_Carterr">Carter Reynolds</a> and his ex-girlfriend <a href="https://vine.co/u/959614736046108672">Maggie Lindemann</a>, who split in December 2014.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/carter-reynolds-maggie-lidemann-twitter-spat-is-a-poor-advert-for-social-media">Continue reading...</a>InternetSocial mediaTechnologyVineTwitterAppsCultureBloggingDigital mediaMediaNewspapers & magazinesRedditTue, 21 Jul 2015 17:26:49 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/carter-reynolds-maggie-lidemann-twitter-spat-is-a-poor-advert-for-social-mediaPhotograph: YouTube screengrabMaggie Lindemann and Carter Reynolds, whose relationship strifes have been documented online.Photograph: YouTube screengrabMaggie Lindemann and Carter Reynolds, whose relationship strifes have been documented online.Hannah Jane Parkinson2015-07-21T17:26:49ZTechnology still has a problem with women – but change is in the airhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/technology-women-gender-inequality
<p>The number of women in tech hasn’t increased in decades. But the tide is starting to turn when it comes to attitudes to the sector’s gender inequality</p><p>When I left school at 16, in March 1979, my first job interview was for an admin position at a garage in Chelmsford. I was extremely nervous as I walked into a yard of men in greasy overalls, and as I was being interviewed I blushed as my eyes skipped around the office to the calendars of topless women on the walls. </p><p>I loved Top of the Pops on a Thursday evening all those years ago, but wondered why there were so few women singing or presenting. “Women are no good at singing – if they were any good they would be on there,” said one. “Women don’t like singing in public or on TV because it’s not natural or feminine,” said another. I thought at the time those opinions were wrong, but kept my opinions to myself unless I was talking to one of those rare people who seemed to feel the way I did.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/technology-women-gender-inequality">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyComputingFeminismWomenSoftwareMon, 13 Jul 2015 09:38:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/13/technology-women-gender-inequalityPhotograph: Alamy‘When I started my PhD there were about 15-20% women in tech; now, 22 years later, there are still about 15-20% women in tech.’Dr Sue Black2015-07-13T09:38:13ZEight essential apps for Muslims observing Ramadanhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/17/eight-apps-muslims-observing-ramadan
<p>Avoiding eating, drinking and getting angry before sunset is tough during fasting month – but these apps can help keep prayer time, habits and diet in check</p><p>The alarm on your phone buzzes at 2:39am. Bleary eyed, you wolf down your toast and sip your water in the last minute before the day of fasting begins. No eating, no drinking, and no getting angry before sunset. You roll your eyes as your phone pings with notifications of yet another message with a mosque emoticon, or a cheesy “I have a date every night in Ramadan” joke. The fast begins.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/17/eight-apps-muslims-observing-ramadan">Continue reading...</a>AppsTechnologyRamadanAppleSmartphonesGoogleIslamComputingReligionWed, 17 Jun 2015 09:23:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/17/eight-apps-muslims-observing-ramadanPhotograph: AnodaMuslim Pro, the app that helps Muslims keep a check on prayer times, wherever they are.Photograph: AnodaMuslim Pro, the app that helps Muslims keep a check on prayer times, wherever they are.Aisha Gani2015-06-17T09:23:46ZLaurence Scott's The Four-Dimensional Human – Tech Weekly podcasthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/30/laurence-scott-four-dimensional-human-tech-podcast
We know that digital technology has radically reshaped our lives. But is it also changing our ideas of who we are?<p>A new book by author Laurence Scott looks at some of the strange side-effects of the digitisation of our lives. It's called <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/11/the-four-dimensional-human-ways-of-being-in-the-digital-world-laurence-scott-review">The Four-Dimensional Human</a>, and in it Scott picks apart some of the jarring new realities posed by the hyper-connectivity of our everyday lives. He argues that as moments of our lives audition for their moment of digital glory we are increasingly projecting ourselves into a shimmering fourth dimension online, allowing us to exist in several places at once. </p><p>But as our treasured experiences are fed into our social platforms, can we ever experience the present in the same way? What does it mean to become the PR representative for yourself, continually attending to your brand across multiple platforms? Scott joins Olly Mann to explore the shadowlands where our photogenic breakfasts meet our awkward silences and leave us with a sense of unease at the digital takeover of our lives. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/30/laurence-scott-four-dimensional-human-tech-podcast">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyThu, 30 Jul 2015 08:15:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/30/laurence-scott-four-dimensional-human-tech-podcastAlexander Ayer / Barcroft USA/Alexander Ayer / Barcroft USADiners are increasingly focussed on sharing images of food on social media rather than enjoying the experience. Photograph: Alexander Ayer/Barcroft USAPresented by Olly Mann and produced by Alannah Chance2015-07-30T08:15:46ZThe internet of things – Tech Weekly podcasthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/24/internet-of-things-tech-podcast
What does it mean to live in a world where our possessions can track our every move?<p>Once the domain of science fiction, the internet of things is now here – and it's not just a matter of smart fridges that can order your milk. Soon our towns, our crops and even our insides are going to be increasingly wired to the web in a data driven, hyper-connected world. </p><p>How can we control who has access to this data? What happens when our connection goes down or our smart homes get hacked? </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/24/internet-of-things-tech-podcast">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyInternet of thingsFri, 24 Jul 2015 08:07:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/24/internet-of-things-tech-podcastDrAfter123/Getty ImagesWe should be 'making sure that the original promises of the ­internet – openness, transparency, ­freedom and ­universality – are a national asset'. Photograph: DrAfter123/Getty ImagesPresented by Olly Mann with Julia Powles, Nicole Kobie and Samuel Gibbs and produced by Alannah Chance2015-07-24T08:07:07ZMicrosoft Windows 10 free upgrade: the last rounduphttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/23/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-the-last-roundup
<p>With the free upgrade to Microsoft Windows 10 shipping on 29 July, should I upgrade Windows 7? Can I revert to my old operating system? </p><p>Should I go for the Windows 10 upgrade or continue with Windows 7? My laptop is five years old and working very nicely after I installed an SSD (solid-state disc). It has a 2.2GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB of memory and a Blu-ray drive. I am worried about drivers. <strong>Ratish Gupta</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/23/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-the-last-roundup">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyComputingWindowsWindows 10Thu, 23 Jul 2015 08:46:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/23/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-the-last-roundupPhotograph: The GuardianMicrosoft staff have been using a sticker on their Windows 10 laptops that shows ‘Ninja cat’ riding a fire-breathing unicorn. For the launch, Microsoft is offering everyone a free wallpaper version.Photograph: The GuardianMicrosoft staff have been using a sticker on their Windows 10 laptops that shows ‘Ninja cat’ riding a fire-breathing unicorn. For the launch, Microsoft is offering everyone a free wallpaper version.Jack Schofield2015-07-23T08:46:01ZIs the writing on the wall for Reddit? – Tech Weekly podcasthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/16/reddit-tech-podcast
After a week of turmoil at Reddit we ask whether the site can continue in its current form<p>Reddit hasn't had great press. It's hit the headlines in the past for its groups dedicated to fat-shaming and misogyny. But for its users it represents what the internet should be – an uncensored community where the best of humanity jostles along with the worst. </p><p>After a week of scandals and high-profile resignations, we take stock on where the site is headed. Is it sustainable in its current form? How can a network that's built on the free labour of its community transform itself into a successful business?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/16/reddit-tech-podcast">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyRedditSocial networkingThu, 16 Jul 2015 15:14:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/16/reddit-tech-podcastRedditReddit overload page Photograph: RedditPresented by Olly Mann with Elena Cresci, Sam Thielman and Samuel Gibbs and produced by Alannah Chance2015-07-16T15:14:46ZCan you help me choose a cheap laptop?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/16/cheap-laptops-microsoft-word-excel
<p>Katie hasn’t bought a laptop for 10 years and needs an introduction to the current market. She wants something small that can handle Microsoft Word and Excel</p><p> <em><br /></em></p><p>A few years ago, my computer packed up, so I transferred everything I wanted to an external hard drive and got rid of it. I have a smartphone for basic things like web browsing and checking emails, and for anything else I head for the local library with a USB stick. It’s saved me quite a bit not having an internet connection (and associated phone line) over the last three years. That said, I’m hankering for a laptop, but I don’t know where to start: it’s 10 years since I last bought a computer!</p><p>I’d like something that is a good size for a handbag / bedside table drawer (I am in a flat and storage space is premium). I want to run Microsoft Word (I like the fancy features), Excel with macros (I tried Google docs but the sheets I’m working with are too large / sophisticated for it), web stuff -- the usual browsing, YouTube, blogging etc -- and music. I love CDs, but an external CD/DVD player is something I’ve considered. Budget? I’ve no idea, but not loads. <strong>Katie</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/16/cheap-laptops-microsoft-word-excel">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyLaptopsComputingThu, 16 Jul 2015 11:15:58 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/16/cheap-laptops-microsoft-word-excelPhotograph: PRThe HP Stream 11, which is available in blue or magenta, is a minimum-spec machine, but buyers seem to like it a lot.Photograph: PRThe HP Stream 11, which is available in blue or magenta, is a minimum-spec machine, but buyers seem to like it a lot.Jack Schofield2015-07-16T11:15:58ZLook who's talking - Tech Weekly podcasthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/10/language-algorithms-tech-podcast
Language is what makes us human. So what does it mean when algorithms start to put words in our mouths?<p>This week on Tech Weekly, we look at how new apps are transforming language. From new start-up Crystal, which promises to make your emails more empathetic, to the global rise of emoji, do these apps short-cut meaningful communication or are they just innocuous tools helping make life quicker? </p><p>To help us decide is Evan Selinger, a professor of philosophy who thinks the divide between the human and the algorithm is getting dangerously blurred; and Professor Vyv Evans, a linguist championing the use of emojis to help us express our emotions more clearly.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/10/language-algorithms-tech-podcast">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyPodcastingLanguageFri, 10 Jul 2015 07:58:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/10/language-algorithms-tech-podcastDaisy Images/AlamyA dictionary's raison d'être: "be a record of the language choices of the community". Photograph: Daisy Images/AlamyPresented by Olly Mann with Hannah Jane Parkinson and Alex Hern. Produced by Alannah Chance2015-07-10T07:58:00ZHelp, I've been hacked – have I lost all my files?http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/09/help-ive-been-hacked-have-i-lost-all-my-files
<p>The files on Tara’s PC have been encrypted by CryptoWall malware, and she wonders if she can rescue anything without paying the criminals a ransom</p><p>I have been hit by a CryptoWall attack. My files are encrypted. I presume I have lost everything, but is there anything I can do to rescue them?<em> </em><strong>Tara</strong></p><p>If you have been hit by the latest CryptoWall 3 then your presumption is probably correct – unless you pay the criminals who are holding your files hostage. Ransomware is getting more and more sophisticated, and making it harder to recover files. However, it doesn’t always work properly, so it is still worth trying.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/09/help-ive-been-hacked-have-i-lost-all-my-files">Continue reading...</a>HackingTechnologyComputingThu, 09 Jul 2015 08:13:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/09/help-ive-been-hacked-have-i-lost-all-my-filesPhotograph: AlamyRansomware may not be a huge threat but it’s nasty when it happens – and it could get worse.Jack Schofield2015-07-09T08:13:37ZHow to make Windows easier to use for people with poor visionhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/02/windows-easier-for-people-with-poor-vision
<p>George struggles with fonts on small laptops and so wants a portable with a big screen. But he can make Windows texts easier to read on a machine of any size …</p><p><em>I work for a university and do quite a lot of travelling. I need reading glasses for small fonts, and consequently struggle with small laptop screens. I would like a large-screen laptop and wonder if you could recommend one. My priorities are a large good-quality screen and portability</em>. <strong>George</strong></p><p>You are correct in thinking that if you display the same image on a bigger screen, everything will look bigger, though it won’t be quite as sharp. (There will be fewer pixels per inch.) Unfortunately, the bigger the screen, the less portable the laptop.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/02/windows-easier-for-people-with-poor-vision">Continue reading...</a>WindowsTechnologyMicrosoftComputingThu, 02 Jul 2015 06:00:10 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jul/02/windows-easier-for-people-with-poor-visionPhotograph: Bruce Laurance/Getty ImagesGeorge finds reading on smaller laptops hard – but bigger is not necessarily better.Photograph: Bruce Laurance/Getty ImagesGeorge finds reading on smaller laptops hard – but bigger is not necessarily better.Jack Schofield2015-07-02T06:00:10ZHow information grows – Tech Weekly podcasthttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/02/how-information-grows-cesar-hidalgo-tech-weekly-podcast
MIT's anti-disciplinarian maverick Cesar Hidalgo argues for a new way of looking at data which could fundamentally change how we understand the world<p>This week we dedicate the show to MIT professor Cesar Hidalgo, whose new book How Information Grows: The Evolution of Order from Atoms to Economies offers a radical new way of thinking about data. Can new ways of computing information change the world?</p><p>Data journalist James Ball asks what this means in practical terms and they race through everything from rethinking the global economy to new ways of visualising your inbox.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/02/how-information-grows-cesar-hidalgo-tech-weekly-podcast">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyEconomicsInformationThu, 02 Jul 2015 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/jul/02/how-information-grows-cesar-hidalgo-tech-weekly-podcastDeco / Alamy/AlamyCan charities and non-governmental organisations use their information more effectively? Photograph: Deco / Alamy/AlamyPresented by Olly Mann with James Ball and produced by Alannah Chance2015-07-02T06:00:00ZApple stock continues tumble despite better-than-expected earningshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/apple-quarterly-results-watch-sales
<p>Shares off 5% before lunchtime on Wednesday even in face of Apple Watch’s likely $1bn sales as analysts say investors are spoiled by company’s success</p><p>Apple stock fell down and stayed down Wednesday morning, as investors seemed disappointed by another set of record-breaking results and a lack of fireworks over Apple Watch sales figures. The stock was off by 5% before lunchtime.</p><p>Analysts said Apple’s investors are frankly spoiled. “The sharp plunge in the stock price can partly be attributed to the company missing projections for iPhone shipments and revenue forecasts, but is largely due to the fact that investors had become accustomed to significant earnings beats by Apple,” wrote James Chen, senior market analyst to City Index. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/apple-quarterly-results-watch-sales">Continue reading...</a>AppleQuarterly resultsApple WatchiPadMobile phonesComputingBusinessUS newsiPhoneMicrosoftNokiaTechnologySmartphonesWed, 22 Jul 2015 16:48:26 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/21/apple-quarterly-results-watch-salesPhotograph: Stephen Lam/ReutersTim Cook speaks during an Apple event announcing the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch.Sam Thielman in New York2015-07-22T16:48:26ZDear Taylor Swift, Get Apple to change these things too, Love everyonehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/22/dear-taylor-swift-apple-change-these-things-too
<p>Taylor Swift’s power over Apple has got the internet thinking. What else can she ask it to change about our iPhones, iPads and Macs?</p><p>Everything has changed. Taylor Swift has spoken out against Apple and seemingly achieved the impossible – she’s persuaded the tech giant to actually change something. After <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/22/apple-music-royalties-free-trial-taylor-swift">Swift’s intervention, Apple will now pay artists</a> as it gives their music away for free as part of its Apple Music streaming service trial.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Popjustice/status/612885741518102528">Some might say</a> Apple were always looking for a way to shake off its previous stance, but that shouldn’t lead us to underestimate the sway Swift holds. There’s no bad blood between the parties that we know of, so what’s to stop Swift asking Apple for more? What else could she change for us? What in our wildest dreams …</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/22/dear-taylor-swift-apple-change-these-things-too">Continue reading...</a>AppleTaylor SwiftTechnologyGadgetsiPhoneiPadiOSComputingMusicSmartphonesMobile phonesCultureTablet computersTwitterInternetMon, 22 Jun 2015 12:02:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/22/dear-taylor-swift-apple-change-these-things-tooPhotograph: Michel Porro/Getty Images for TASSwift says no. Apple fixes it.Samuel Gibbs2015-06-22T12:02:04ZRoger Moore backs children's fairytales app in aid of Unicefhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/18/roger-moore-childrens-app-unicef-givingtales
<p>Veteran actor enlisted friends Ewan McGregor, Stephen Fry and Joan Collins for GivingTales collection of Hans Christian Andersen stories</p><p>“I had one of the first Apple computers, God knows how many years ago, maybe 30 years ago, when it all started. And I could dictate into the machine, and I dictated swear words, it would translate them phonetically. I remember Gregory Peck was staying with us. He was horrified! ‘This is disgusting, Roger,’ he said …”</p><p>Sir Roger Moore: tech early adopter. Not that the veteran actor would describe himself that way, as he talks to the Guardian about the technological skills of modern children in a familiarly self-deprecating manner.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/18/roger-moore-childrens-app-unicef-givingtales">Continue reading...</a>Children's techAppsRoger MooreHans Christian AndersenTablet computersSmartphonesiPhoneiPadAndroidWindows PhoneBooksComputingCultureMobile phonesTechnologyMediaThu, 18 Jun 2015 14:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/18/roger-moore-childrens-app-unicef-givingtalesPhotograph: Rolf Vennenbernd/Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa/CorbisSir Roger Moore: ‘I had no idea what they meant by apps!’Photograph: Rolf Vennenbernd/Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa/CorbisSir Roger Moore: ‘I had no idea what they meant by apps!’Stuart Dredge2015-06-18T14:00:00ZApple News app to rely on editors rather than algorithms for curationhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/apple-news-app-editors-curation
<p>Plans to hire ‘ambitious, detail-oriented journalists’ to work on recently-unveiled app, but what happens when Apple becomes the news?</p><p>That news story you just read on your iPhone: did <em>Apple</em> pay the editor responsible? Actually, from this autumn, it’s possible that the company did.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/news-outlets-face-losing-control-to-apple-facebook-and-google">News outlets face losing control to Apple, Facebook and Google</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/apple-news-app-editors-curation">Continue reading...</a>AppleTechnologyMediaInternetiPhoneiPadiOSSmartphonesTablet computersNewspapersMagazinesNewspapers & magazinesTelecomsTue, 16 Jun 2015 07:10:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/16/apple-news-app-editors-curationPhotograph: Jeff Chiu/APApple executive Susan Prescott demonstrating Apple News at WWDC.Photograph: Jeff Chiu/APApple executive Susan Prescott demonstrating Apple News at WWDC.Stuart Dredge2015-06-16T07:10:41ZApple iOS 9 to give four extra hours of iPhone battery lifehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/08/apple-ios-9-speed-size-battery-life-wwdc
<p>New ‘low power’ mode makes iPhones last longer as Apple focuses on speed, reliability and a smarter Siri with new update</p><p>The next update to Apple’s iOS iPhone and iPad operating system was unveiled on Monday and introduced a new intelligent search assistant, greater speed and security.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/08/apples-next-version-os-x-called-el-capitan">El Capitan: Apple unveils next version of OS X software</a> </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/08/apple-ios-9-speed-size-battery-life-wwdc">Continue reading...</a>AppleiPhoneiPadiOSTechnologyApple WWDCSmartphonesSoftwareTablet computersComputingMon, 08 Jun 2015 18:37:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/08/apple-ios-9-speed-size-battery-life-wwdcPhotograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesApple’s senior vice-president of software engineering Craig Federighi and chief executive Tim Cook at Monday’s WWDC.Samuel Gibbs2015-06-08T18:37:15ZApple publishes recovery instructions for bug that crashes iOS deviceshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/29/apple-workaround-message-bug-crashes-ios-siri
<p>iMessage issue solved by asking Siri to read and reply to unread messages – but it’s only a temporary fix in advance of full software update</p><p>Hey Siri, can you help me get access to my texts again after that strange message I received consisting of non-Latin characters crashed my iPhone? In advance of a software update to fix the bug, yes it can.</p><p>Apple has published a temporary workaround for iOS users affected by the bug, which was <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/27/iphone-crash-bug-text-imessage-ios">found to affect iPhones earlier in the week</a>, and subsequently revealed to be <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/28/iphone-text-message-bug-crash-apple-watch-ipad-mac">capable of affecting the Apple Watch, iPads and Macs</a>.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/29/apple-workaround-message-bug-crashes-ios-siri">Continue reading...</a>iPhoneAppleiOSiPadApple WatchSoftwareSmartphonesMobile phonesTablet computersTechnologyTelecomsFri, 29 May 2015 04:26:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/29/apple-workaround-message-bug-crashes-ios-siriPhotograph: Samuel Gibbs for the GuardianApple has a workaround to fix the messaging bug that crashes iOS devices.Photograph: Samuel Gibbs for the GuardianApple has a workaround to fix the messaging bug that crashes iOS devices.Stuart Dredge2015-05-29T04:26:02ZThe tablet explodes: over-50s and three-year-olds join the charge towards techhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/27/the-tablet-explodes-over-50s-and-three-year-olds-join-the-charge-towards-tech
<p>Popularity of the iPad and its rivals has mushroomed, with 54% of UK households owning one, according to an Ofcom report</p><p>In the space of just five years, tablets have become a must-have device, with more than half of UK households and one in 10 three to four-year-olds owning one.</p><p>Since the debut of Apple’s iPad in 2010, and the subsequent arrival of rival products such as Amazon Fire, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Google Nexus, there has been an explosion in the popularity of tablets, which are shaping the way people use the internet and watch TV and films.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/27/the-tablet-explodes-over-50s-and-three-year-olds-join-the-charge-towards-tech">Continue reading...</a>Tablet computersComputingTechnologyiPadAppleUK newsWed, 27 May 2015 17:14:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/27/the-tablet-explodes-over-50s-and-three-year-olds-join-the-charge-towards-techPhotograph: Graeme Robertson/GuardianTablets are helping to drive the use of apps, with 86% of those who go online using them.Photograph: Graeme Robertson/GuardianTablets are helping to drive the use of apps, with 86% of those who go online using them.Mark Sweney2015-05-27T17:14:20ZCarl Icahn: Apple shares 'dramatically undervalued' and should trade at $240http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/18/apple-shares-carl-icahn-stock-market-value
<p>Activist investor says Apple shares should be trading at nearly double their current price, making the iPhone maker worth about $1.5tn</p><p>Activist investor Carl Icahn has embarked on a new campaign to encourage Apple to increase returns to shareholders by arguing the iPhone maker’s shares should be trading at nearly double their current price – $240 each, rather than $128.</p><p>On this basis, the Californian company would be worth about $1.5tn, more than seven times as valuable as Shell, one of Britain’s biggest listed companies. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/18/apple-shares-carl-icahn-stock-market-value">Continue reading...</a>AppleSharesInvestmentsMoneyBusinessTechnologyComputingiPadiPhoneTelevisionMon, 18 May 2015 18:33:28 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/18/apple-shares-carl-icahn-stock-market-valuePhotograph: APCarl Icahn (left) has told Apple CEO Tim Cook why he believes the shares should be worth almost 90% more than they are already.Photograph: APCarl Icahn (left) has told Apple CEO Tim Cook why he believes the shares should be worth almost 90% more than they are already.Jill Treanor2015-05-18T18:33:28ZEricsson takes Apple fight over iPhone and iPads to Europehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/08/ericsson-takes-apple-fight-over-iphone-and-ipads-to-europe
<p>Patent spat spills out of the US to the UK, Germany and the Netherlands as the two firms tussle over licensing issues</p><p>Ericsson has brought its fight with Apple over licensing to Europe, launching new lawsuits in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.</p><p>The two companies are <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/27/ericsson-sues-apple-block-iphone-ipad-sales-us-over-patents">locked in battle in the US</a>, where Ericsson is seeking to block the sale of Apple’s iPhone and iPad over alleged patent infringement after licensing agreements expired.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/08/ericsson-takes-apple-fight-over-iphone-and-ipads-to-europe">Continue reading...</a>AppleSmartphone patent warsSmartphonesTechnologyGadgetsiPadiPhoneTelecomsTelecommunications industryBusinessMobile phonesTablet computersFri, 08 May 2015 13:54:44 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/08/ericsson-takes-apple-fight-over-iphone-and-ipads-to-europePhotograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty ImagesEricsson’s patent spat with Apple spills over in the Europe as the telecoms pioneer attempts to secure new licensing agreements.Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty ImagesEricsson’s patent spat with Apple spills over in the Europe as the telecoms pioneer attempts to secure new licensing agreements.Samuel Gibbs and agencies2015-05-08T13:54:44ZKeep iPads out of the cockpit – no one needs pilots watching Netflix advertshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/29/keep-ipads-out-of-the-cockpit-no-one-needs-pilots-watching-netflix-adverts
<p>The revelation that American Airlines pilots store flight data on Apple tablets is unsettling – bring back the 35lb of paper they have dispensed with</p><p>I use my iPad for many things. I watch football matches on it. I listen to the radio on it. I rest coffee cups on it.</p><p>One thing I do not use it for is flying a plane.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/29/keep-ipads-out-of-the-cockpit-no-one-needs-pilots-watching-netflix-adverts">Continue reading...</a>iPadTechnologyAir transportWorld newsAppleTablet computersWed, 29 Apr 2015 19:37:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/29/keep-ipads-out-of-the-cockpit-no-one-needs-pilots-watching-netflix-advertsPhotograph: AlamyOne of these supposedly replaces 35lb paper manuals, thus saving American Airlines 400,000 gallons of fuel a year. Bring back the paper.Photograph: AlamyOne of these supposedly replaces 35lb paper manuals, thus saving American Airlines 400,000 gallons of fuel a year. Bring back the paper.Adam Gabbatt in New York2015-04-29T19:37:45ZMicrosoft Windows 10 free upgrade: five questions answeredhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/may/28/five-questions-about-free-upgrade-microsoft-windows-10
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/may/21/should-i-buy-windows-81-pc-now-or-wait-windows-10">Last week’s column on Windows 10</a> resulted in many more readers’ questions. Here’s a handful, though nothing is certain until Microsoft launches the code</p><p></p><p><em>Can you please tell me how to go about obtaining the free Windows 10 for my laptop, which is currently operating on Windows 8.0? </em><strong>Eric</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/may/28/five-questions-about-free-upgrade-microsoft-windows-10">Continue reading...</a>Windows 10MicrosoftComputingTechnologyThu, 28 May 2015 09:07:55 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/may/28/five-questions-about-free-upgrade-microsoft-windows-10Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PAI expect the Windows 10 upgrade will be downloadable and will come with its own product key: this is how the current trial version of Windows 10 works.Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PAI expect the Windows 10 upgrade will be downloadable and will come with its own product key: this is how the current trial version of Windows 10 works.Jack Schofield2015-05-28T09:07:55ZWindows 10 review – final version of Windows might be Microsoft's best everhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-review
<p>Microsoft’s Windows swansong brings together the best bits of Windows 7 and 8 – and won’t force you to change the way you work</p><p>Microsoft’s last version of Windows is finally here: Windows 10 is arguably the best version of the ubiquitous operating system. But the question is, should you upgrade for free immediately? Or will it be another Windows 8 moment?</p><p>Windows 10 is a big step towards the Microsoft classic becoming an always-connected operating system for every device, not just PCs, which is continuously updated for free. It’ll run traditional desktop Windows apps, like Windows 7. But it will also run new “universal” apps downloaded from the Windows Store, which Microsoft hopes will become a trusted source of traditional Windows desktop programs as well.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-review">Continue reading...</a>Windows 10WindowsMicrosoftComputingTechnologySoftwareTablet computersSmartphonesWed, 29 Jul 2015 04:00:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/29/microsoft-windows-10-reviewPhotograph: Jack Schofield for the GuardianWindows 10 screenshotPhotograph: Jack Schofield for the GuardianWindows 10 screenshotJack Schofield2015-07-29T04:00:09ZMazda MX-5: car review | Martin Lovehttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/mazda-mx5-car-review-davie-birrell-mission-motorsport
<p>Mazda’s lovable MX-5 is the world’s bestselling sports car. And for one injured soldier it has been a lifeline…</p><p><strong>Price &pound;18,495</strong><br /><strong>MPG 47.1</strong><br /><strong>Top speed 127mph</strong></p><p>In the footwell of the seat I’m strapped into is a sign that reads: “If the driver’s legs fall off, press here!” That must sound ridiculous to you, but then you aren’t being driven hell-for-leather round the historic Goodwood racetrack by a man with no legs…</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/mazda-mx5-car-review-davie-birrell-mission-motorsport">Continue reading...</a>MotoringTechnologyAutomotive industryMotor sportMilitarySun, 02 Aug 2015 05:00:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/02/mazda-mx5-car-review-davie-birrell-mission-motorsportPhotograph: PRShore thing: the iconic MX-5 is the fourth generation of Mazda’s bestselling roadster.Photograph: PRShore thing: the iconic MX-5 is the fourth generation of Mazda’s bestselling roadster.Martin Love2015-08-02T05:00:06ZMicrosoft Windows 10 free upgrade: seven more questions answeredhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jun/25/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-7-questions-answered
<p>Will I lose Office 2010 if I upgrade? Does it come in a DVD format, as well? Will I have to use an Outlook account? Find out here<br><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jun/04/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-10-questions-answered"><br></a></p><p>If I upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, will I lose Office 2010 – which I paid for and installed – and other programs? <strong tabindex="-1">Wolf</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jun/25/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-7-questions-answered">Continue reading...</a>Windows 10TechnologyWindowsMicrosoftComputingThu, 25 Jun 2015 09:48:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/jun/25/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-7-questions-answeredPhotograph: PRWindows 10 brings back the Windows 7 Start menu, with tiles added from Windows 8.Photograph: PRWindows 10 brings back the Windows 7 Start menu, with tiles added from Windows 8.Jack Schofield2015-06-25T09:48:14ZMusk, Wozniak and Hawking urge ban on warfare AI and autonomous weaponshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/musk-wozniak-hawking-ban-ai-autonomous-weapons
<p>More than 1,000 experts and leading robotics researchers sign open letter warning of military artificial intelligence arms race<br></p><p>Over 1,000 high-profile artificial intelligence experts and leading researchers have signed an open letter warning of a “military artificial intelligence arms race” and calling for a ban on “offensive autonomous weapons”.<br /></p><p>The letter, presented at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was signed by Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis and professor Stephen Hawking along with 1,000 AI and robotics researchers.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/musk-wozniak-hawking-ban-ai-autonomous-weapons">Continue reading...</a>Artificial intelligence (AI)RobotsDrones (non-military)MilitaryTechnologyResearch and developmentUK newsWorld newsAustralia newsArgentinaScienceComputingAmericasElon MuskStephen HawkingMon, 27 Jul 2015 10:18:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/27/musk-wozniak-hawking-ban-ai-autonomous-weaponsPhotograph: Moviestore/REX Shutterstock/Moviestore/REX ShutterstockOver 1,000 leading experts in artificial intelligence have signed an open letter calling for a ban on military AI development and autonomous weapons, as depicted within the Terminator sci-fi franchise.Photograph: Moviestore/REX Shutterstock/Moviestore/REX ShutterstockOver 1,000 leading experts in artificial intelligence have signed an open letter calling for a ban on military AI development and autonomous weapons, as depicted within the Terminator sci-fi franchise.Samuel Gibbs2015-07-27T10:18:35ZWhat the Talking Angela app is really saying to your kidshttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/18/talking-angela-app-children-safety
<p>Don’t believe everything you read on Facebook, although the Talking Angela app may provide parents with some valid reasons for concern</p><p>This week, a year-old hoax about <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/17/talking-angela-app-children-facebook-chain-letter">the Talking Angela app being dangerous for children</a> has been doing the rounds on Facebook again, despite having been debunked back then, and again now.</p><p>Parents can be forgiven for being spooked by the suggestion that a cutesy talking cat app is actually a front for a paedophile ring, as one of the hoax messages claimed. So what is Talking Angela really saying to your children, and is it inappropriate? The best way to find out is to actually use the app.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/18/talking-angela-app-children-safety">Continue reading...</a>AppsSmartphonesTablet computersiPhoneiPadAndroidAppleGoogleDigital mediaTechnologyChildrenInternet safetyGamesParents and parentingCultureThu, 20 Feb 2014 20:58:48 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/18/talking-angela-app-children-safetyPhotograph: PRThe Talking Angela app is used by children and adults alike.Photograph: PRThe Talking Angela app is used by children and adults alike.Stuart Dredge2014-02-20T20:58:48Z20 best apps for kids to help stave off summer holiday boredomhttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2013/aug/07/best-apps-kids-iphone-ipad-android
Android, iPhone and iPad apps for children featuring reading, drawing, phonics, games and other interactive fun<p>For British parents, it's now deep into the summer holidays. You've been to the soft-play centre twice, exhausted the potential of the local play-park, and been banned from the paddling pool due to that unfortunate floating-object incident.</p><p>(Well, how could you have known it'd escape from the waterproof nappy?)</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2013/aug/07/best-apps-kids-iphone-ipad-android">Continue reading...</a>AppsAndroidiPhoneiPadAppleGoogleChildrenChildren and teenagersGamesBooksTechnologyMediaToysCultureWed, 07 Aug 2013 15:03:44 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2013/aug/07/best-apps-kids-iphone-ipad-androidPRLadybird: Read it Yourself is a series of digital books for iPadPRStuart Dredge2013-08-07T15:03:44Z